


Sacred Balance - K.R

by YenneferXGeralt



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Romance, Slow Burn, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-04-26 08:36:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 26,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14398320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YenneferXGeralt/pseuds/YenneferXGeralt
Summary: Trained by Ahsoka Tano on the planet Jedha, Evelyn finds herself in the hands of the First Order. Mistaking her for a Jedi, Kylo Ren, who seeks to find an apprentice, seduces Evelyn with the dark side, but will she submit? The sacred balance of the Force is not one to be reckoned with, and with the Resistance becoming more of a threat, Kylo cannot be weakened by the mysterious Grey Jedi who seems to be holding her own secrets and simultaneously, making him doubt his devotion to the dark. But how can one so plagued by darkness, be welcomed back into the light? And can Evelyn find the fragments of Ben Solo, whom she has fearfully fallen for?





	1. The Holy City.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a playlist for this work here : https://open.spotify.com/user/1194181453/playlist/0h52KzqNrG6G3jyUANDttu?si=RkKZuMuTRaKHDYKPAjyDBQ . I've put a '*' in each chapter for the songs so you know when to play them if you want to have an immersive read :)).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs for this chapter are Nascence by Austin Wintory and Victory (feat. Julie Elven) - Part 1 - Motherland by Joris de Man.

*The soft orange sky slowly began to turn a dark blue as the moon rose higher, casting a pale light upon the vast desert of sand. The gleaming Holy City of Jedha was like a beacon as the cool night drew in, the lights from the intricate buildings glowing like pure starlight.

  
A level of peace and serenity managed to stretch to the rocky mountains, far from the borders of Ni'Jedha. Evelyn rose from her seated position, returning from her deep state of meditation with a small smile on her face. She watched as the last glimpse of the sun slipped down past the landscape, the sky turning a midnight blue within seconds. She began her descent back to the secluded lair in which she resided in with her master, Ahsoka Tano. It was a small alcove, nestled deep within the mountains, close to a kyber crystal outlet which shone in the moonlight, casting a plethora of pastel colours onto the nearby rocks. It didn't seem like much, but to Evelyn, it was home.

  
Her feet seemed to automatically take her to the path down the precipice, her mind seemingly elsewhere as she watched the multitude of stars emerge in the dark sky. The bright orbs of gas twinkled blissfully, a strong sense of serenity falling down from the heavens.* It was only when one of the stars seemed to expand and draw nearer to the planet Jedha that her brows furrowed, and her hand reached for her lightsaber. As the ship drew nearer to the planets surface, Evelyn slid down the sandy slope, dirtying her white shirt with dense orange stains. Her breathing became uneven as she spotted the infamous First Order sigil on the side of the small ship which had now begun to descend onto the sand, sparking a sense of fear and confusion within her. The First Order had abandoned Jedha many years ago after the destruction of the Jedi Temple at the hands of Ben Solo, and the kyber crystals near the city were exploited and taken out of fear of a Jedi uprising. Only Ahsoka and her padawan remained in secrecy on the forgotten planet, however, it would seem that the ways of the Force had led the Order straight back to where it started.

  
Evelyn took shelter behind a large, fallen rock, being able to see the ship clearly. The alcove was not far from where she stood, and if the First Order were to find it, herself and her master would surely be executed. In an attempt to centre herself, she closed her eyes, and instead listened to her surroundings. She heard the piercing hiss of the ships door opening, and the heavy sound of boots against metal, and then...silence. She frowned, trying to interpret what could possibly be happening. The Force seemed to bend and pull towards the direction of the ship, making her back press harder against the rock face as she moved her hands along the sand. Risking a glance, she carefully peered around the side of the rock, catching a glimpse of a man, swarmed in black with a mask covering his face, her eyes focused on the lightsaber attached to his waist. It did not take her long to piece together what this meant.

  
She felt compelled to look at this man, who seemed to survey his surroundings slowly, turning his head from right to left, until his mask turned directly to her. She could feel him looking at her, even through the mask, even with only her eyes being visible through the gap between rock and cliff. She was about to turn back around when a hard hand pulled her by her long braid, dragging her out from behind the rock and in front of the mysterious figure. She struggled, trying to pry his hands off of her hair, but was ultimately thrown down into the sand. Slowly, she cast her gaze up, meeting the menacing mask which peered down at her, almost daring her to move.

  
"What should we do with her, sir? She seems to be a Jedi." The stormtrooper who had seized her asked cautiously. It took the figure a moment to respond, watching the young woman intently.

  
"Cuff her, bring her onto the ship, she may be of use to us." He finally stated, the stormtrooper immediately following orders and edging towards the woman.

  
"No! Get your hands off of me!" She struggled against the harsh grip of the stormtrooper who secured her hands with uncomfortable metal braces. "I will be of no use to the First Order, do not take me with you." She pleaded, looking at the tall cloaked figure with desperation as they filed into the small ship. He seemed to stop, turning his gaze back to her distraught face, and to the rocky landscape behind them.

  
"Contact General Hux, tell him to prepare the Star Killer." The voice demanded, no emotion or empathy within his voice, not even as the woman struggled against the stormtroopers grip as she tried to escape, for it did not take her long to piece together just what the 'Star Killer' was.


	2. Apprentice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a playlist for this work here : https://open.spotify.com/user/1194181453/playlist/0h52KzqNrG6G3jyUANDttu?si=RkKZuMuTRaKHDYKPAjyDBQ . I've put a '*' in each chapter for the songs so you know when to play them if you want to have an immersive read :)) - The song for this chapter is Northpoint Nocturne by Rik Schaffer.

  
"Let me go, you Imperial scum." Evelyn growled as another stormtrooper gripped onto her arm, showing no mercy as they pulled her into the Finalizer's main port after having landed on the enormous ship.

  
"Ren, what is this?" General Hux sneered, looking at the filthy woman whose garments were caked in orange sand, hair falling loosely around her face as her braid had been pulled.

  
"One of the Jedi rumoured to be hiding on Jedha." Kylo answered casually, making his way to the large window overlooking what was said moon. Evelyn frowned as the two walked her closer, giving her a better view of the moon which was dimly lit by the Holy City's lights.

  
"I am no Jedi, the Jedi were wiped out years ago by-"

  
"Ben Solo, yes. But if you aren't a Jedi, what are you." Kylo cut her off, intrigued, stepping closer to the woman. Evelyn swallowed the saliva building up in her throat and stared back into the hollow eyes of the mask before.

  
"I am a Grey Jedi, we do not follow the light or dark." She finally declared, an uneasiness settling in the room as Kylo remained silent, simply staring at Evelyn's face.

  
"What were you doing on Jedha, Grey Jedi?" Finally the silence was broken and Kylo began to pace eerily, making Evelyn nervous as to his next move.

  
"It has been my home for many years." She stated the half-truth with confidence, hoping that the answer would suffice, but she knew that that would not be the case.

  
"And who is your master?" He asked the dreaded question, making Evelyn freeze.

  
"I have no master-" Evelyn was cut off as her throat became tight, Kylo's hand poised in a gripping motion before her.

  
"Do not lie to me." His grip loosened, allowing Evelyn to still remain conscious. "I will ask you again, who is your master?"

  
Unable to withstand the pressure on her neck, Evelyn coughed in an effort to take in air. "A-Ahsoka Tano."

  
The pressure on her neck vanished, making Evelyn collapse onto her knees as she gasped for breath. Her master had not trained her for something like this before, her training only being in centring herself with the Force and simple defence strategies.

  
"Ahsoka Tano." Kylo mumbled to himself, but near enough everyone in the room understood him. *"General, is the base ready?"

  
Hux nodded his head stiffly and briskly walked to one of the command panels. Pressing a button to alert the base.

  
"You-You can't do this!" Evelyn frantically watched the scene in front of her play out. She had her suspicions back at Jedha when Kylo had glanced behind her. He had known. "Please, there are innocent people down there, the Grey Jedi are of no threat to the First Order-"

  
"Quiet, filth!" General Hux barked from his position, scowling at the woman intensely. "Star Killer base is ready, Commander." Hux informed Kylo who was now stood at the window, simply observing the moon for one last time.

  
"Fire." The words were followed by a horrendous boom as the energy soared through hyperspace and met the moon fiercely. A deafening silence followed as Evelyn watched her moon be destroyed before her very eyes. The breath left her body as she felt the cries of millions on the surface, agony, fear, run through body in one split second, making her body weak, one hand holding her upright on the floor as she watched the bright flames disperse, fragments of the once thriving moon beginning to float away. A single tear escaped her eye as she thought of her master, the one person she had left in this world, be met with such a terrible fate. It seemed as if the world was in slow motion as she let out a heart-wrenching sob, emotions ablaze as the Force seemed to warp and turn with her.

  
In a fit of anger and grief, she stood and ignited her white saber, running at Kylo Ren who didn't even flinch as he used the force to stop her, holding her in that position.

  
"Take her to a spare chamber, make sure she doesn't escape." He ordered the two stormtroopers who cautiously watched the woman who was frozen mid-strike. Kylo released his grip on her, making her weakly fall to the floor, her lightsaber flying out of her hand and into Ren's. She wanted to protest but knew it would get her nowhere, and frankly, all energy had left her body the moment the blast hit. The stormtroopers roughly hauled her up and began to drag her down the hall. Evelyn cast one last look at the window, not expecting to see Kylo looking directly at her, and watched as the remnants of Jedha floated into nothing.

-

  
She had been left alone in her chambers for nearly three hours now. She had been counting the seconds as she gazed out into nothingness. She had been given a room with a window, allowing her to see the multitude of stars outside, thankfully it was located on the opposite side of the Finalizer so she couldn't see the remaining debris of her home moon.

  
She was surprised by how luxurious her chambers were. It was fully furnished and had it's own kitchen and bathroom. That fact only made her more nervous. She waited on edge for those doors to slide open and a blaster to meet her forehead, but that moment never happened. And when the doors finally did slide open, she was met with Kylo Ren, no blaster in sight.

"You will join me in the dark side." Was all he said, breaking the silence which rang throughout her chambers. Evelyn didn't move, didn't even react, simply stared emptily out into the void. "You will respond when spoken to." He demanded with authority, making Evelyn weakly scoff.

  
"You know nothing of the Force, do you, Kylo Ren?" She spoke his full name with venom, turning around to meet his mask with an icy glare. "There must be balance, if you think you can simply threaten me into submission then you are mistaken." Kylo was taken aback by her coldness, he could even feel it through the force. "You don't even have the courage to face me without your mask on after you destroyed my home!" She shouted in a burst of rage.

  
Kylo remained silent for a few moments, before slowly reaching up and taking his helmet off with a low hiss. Shock was the only thought that ran through Evelyn's mind as she met the face of a man near enough her age. Never had she imagined the infamous Kylo Ren to be so young and so...attractive? She snapped herself out of her thoughts, her glare returning within a second, however, Kylo had already noticed her attraction which made him smirk slightly.

  
"What do you want with me? You abduct me from my home, provide me with chambers, and attempt to seduce me with the dark side all whilst knowing that it will not work. What could you possibly want with me?" She asked quietly, confused as she tried to piece together his reasoning for keeping her alive.

  
"I need an apprentice." Was all he said. His voice was a lot softer and surprisingly melancholy, though still rather deep. It made Evelyn feel slightly at ease.

  
"You wish for me to be your apprentice?" She asked with an eyebrow raised, completely baffled at the prospect of a future Sith wanting a Grey Jedi by his side. "If that was what you wanted then you shouldn't have destroyed my hom-"

"It wasn't a question." He cut her off, voice dangerously calm as he stared into her eyes. "You will join me tomorrow morning at eight to train in the training room on the port side. If you are not present I will send stormtroopers to drag you from your chambers." He said with a tone that held promise. He turned on his heel and began to walk towards the door when Evelyn called out his name.

  
"I will train with you. But I shall not be taught by you. I cannot follow the ways of a Sith, and you cannot possibly dream to try and make me." She said, holding that same tone as the two shared an intense gaze.

  
"As you wish." He nodded, his lack of reluctance astonishing her as he simply left the room quietly. Evelyn remained at the window for the majority of the night, still in shock and denial about what happened. She attempted to meditate however found that every time she closed her eyes, all she could see were those two brown iris' staring straight at her.


	3. Snoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a playlist for this work here : https://open.spotify.com/user/1194181453/playlist/0h52KzqNrG6G3jyUANDttu?si=RkKZuMuTRaKHDYKPAjyDBQ . I've put a '*' in each chapter for the songs so you know when to play them if you want to have an immersive read :)) - The songs for this chapter are A Survivor is Born by Jason Graves, The Legend Begins by Marc Streitenfeld, Revisiting Snoke by John Williams and The Resurrection Stone by Alexandre Desplat.

*"Again." Kylo ordered, clicking his neck as Evelyn tiredly got up off of the floor. She swung with her wooden beam but Kylo easily deflected it, using his own beam to hit her legs, sending her on the floor again. "Again."

  
"You are incredibly infuriating, did you know that?" She winced as she got up, knowing there would be a fresh batch of bruises to add to the myriad that littered her body from the previous weeks training.

  
"So I have been told, now go again." Evelyn used her beam to try and disarm Kylo, but rapidly he parried, making the beam fly out of her hands and into the wall. In her vulnerable state, Kylo quickly caught one of her legs from under her, sending her straight back to the floor. She let out a pained groan, head pulsing from the countless falls.

  
"Can we just take a break?" She moaned, sitting up slowly. Kylo walked over to the other side of the room, picking up her beam and throwing it at her, which luckily, she managed to catch.

  
"Do you think there will be breaks in battle? Go again." He said, anger in his tone. He watched as Evelyn scowled at him, before hastily standing up and wiping the sweat from her brow. Their beams clashed together, Evelyn's strategy somewhat improving before Kylo hit her back harshly, sending her to the floor, face first. Her cheek ached as she pulled herself up and back to her feet. "And here I was, thinking that Ahsoka Tano, who fought my grandfather, was a good teacher." Kylo teased, watching as Evelyn's eyes darkened.

  
With a sudden rage, Evelyn channelled the Force at the memory of her old teacher, catching Kylo off guard as she quickly smashed her beam against his, the sheer impact making Kylo stumble back. Relentlessly, she attacked, constantly changing her pattern as to not be predictable, making it difficult for Kylo to keep up. Using this to her advantage, she quickly used her leg to kick him back with force, making him fall down onto his back. Threateningly, she poised the wooden beam at his neck as he lay at her mercy on the floor, eyes wide in anticipation at her next move.

  
"Don't you ever," She pressed the beam further into his neck for emphasis. "Speak about her like that again. She was a good teacher, she just never had the chance to teach me." The next thing he knew, her beam was being thrown across the room as she coolly walked out of the training room, head held high though her emotions said otherwise. Kylo watched in awe and wonder as her figure disappeared down the hallway, he could feel her emotions even still, pain, hurt, anger, loss, sorrow. He would never admit it, but part of him felt guilty about destroying Jedha, destroying her home. And even though she was kept here against her will on his command, he felt guilty about depriving her of freedom. His selfish mind needing her to stay, needing to train her so that he was not alone so that he could have an apprentice.

  
-

  
_*A week earlier..._

  
_"Your name. What is it?" Kylo demanded as Evelyn cautiously entered the training room, a look of confusion on her face._

  
_"Evelyn." She said warily, watching his facial expression morph to one of intrigue. She seemed to balance herself, looking him in the eyes as he stared her down._  
_"What of your last name?" He asked sceptically, attempting to see inside her head with the Force. Evelyn simply rose an eyebrow knowingly, feeling the strong pull at the centre of her forehead._

  
_"I have no last name, I am an orphan." She stated with ease. She could tell that Kylo didn't believe her, but she decided that she may as well go along with it. "Stop trying to get into my head, if there is one thing Master Tano taught me, it was to protect myself." She declared with a sense of pride at her strenuous hours of meditation and mind-training. Kylo seemed slightly defeated, the pull on her forehead vanishing, however, the sceptical look never left his eyes._

  
_"I don't believe you." He said outright, eyeing her down as if to compel her to tell the truth._

  
_"You do not have to believe me, Kylo. But for all you know, that could simply be the truth." She made her way over to the wooden beams at the side of the wall and picked one up, turning back around to face him. "Shall we begin?"_

  
-

  
*"This girl you have brought on board, who is she?" Snoke demanded, peering down at his young protege with anger.

  
"She is a Grey Jedi from the moon Jedha, Master, the one we destroyed with the Star Killer. I am training her to be my apprentice." Kylo replied with as much authority and confidence as he could muster. Snoke let out an evil wheeze, deformed head tipping back slightly.

  
"You are training a Grey Jedi to be your apprentice?" He said the words with venom and mockery, ridiculing the young man below him. "You are more of a fool than I was led to believe, Ren."

  
"She is showing promise, all I need to do is seduce her with the dark side and-"

  
"Silence!" Snoke's shout echoed in the empty room, sending a shiver down Kylo's spine. "There is a weakness growing within you, boy, a weakness for your 'Grey Jedi'." His words were laced with mockery as he stared Kylo down. "What would your grandfather think of you? He knew most of all what love could do." Snoke watched Kylo's reaction, a scowl forming on his face as he winced internally.

  
"I do not love anyone, let alone a Grey Jedi. She is only here to serve the dark, I will make sure of it." Kylo hissed, anger in his tone, not necessarily at Snoke for assuming these things, but at Evelyn for making them happen in the first place.

  
"Make sure of it, or you will find that she will meet a fate far worse than what Jedha met." Snoke smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Bring her into me, I wish to see what is truly so special about her." Kylo gulped and nodded his head, informing Evelyn through the Force to come to the hall.

  
A few minutes passed before Evelyn entered, Kylo kept his head down at the ground, not daring to look up as she walked closer to him and Snoke, who, surprisingly, managed to appear outwardly calm, instead, she looked up at him, a hint of hatred and defiance in her eye as she planted her feet next to Kylo.

  
"You must be the Grey Jedi, correct?" Snoke asked almost bored as he stared down at the girl. Evelyn nodded her head, not daring to speak. "Speak!" Snoke demanded, Force travelling through space to grip her neck tightly. Evelyn choked slightly, feeling her feet be lifted from the floor. "You do not look so magnificent to me, girl." Snoke scowled, observing her with distaste. Kylo listened helplessly, knowing that he could do nothing to stop this.

  
"I-I..." Evelyn tried to get out, however, the constriction on her throat made it almost impossible.

  
"What was that, padawan? Did you have something to say?" Snoke teased, loosening his grip on her throat slightly.

  
"I am not afraid of you." She finally spat out, making Snoke chuckle menacingly.

  
"You have a fire within you, Grey Jedi, I see it now, maybe you can join the dark side, yes, you would be a useful asset," Snoke observed, releasing his grip on her neck entirely, making her fall to the floor in a heap. "Do not disappoint me, Ren. You know what I shall do if she fails. And as for you," Snoke looked down on Evelyn, hand squeezing tightly making her shout out in pain, a sound that made Kylo recoil slightly as Snoke seemed to delve into her mind. "It is in your best interest not to fail me."

  
Snoke's Force projection dispersed, leaving Evelyn weak on the floor, gasping for breath at the sudden, painful intrusion. *As soon as Kylo was sure Snoke was gone, he immediately neared Evelyn, gently kneeling down onto his knees as she groaned in pain next to him.

  
"Are you alright?" He asked gently, his tender touch on her shoulder surprising her. Evelyn rolled over so she was on her back, staring into Kylo's soft brown eyes with a strange sense of fondness.

  
"I-" She couldn't find the words to express how she felt, instead, placed her hand on top of his and weakly squeezed his fingers, an even weaker smile forming on her face. "I understand why you didn't help." She said, reading his emotions. _Guilt, conflict, anger, sadness_."I do not blame you." Kylo seemed to simply stare down at her, the warmth from her hand spreading throughout his body. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt a touch so soft, so gentle.

  
"Can you walk?" He asked in almost a whisper, watching as Evelyn tried to sit up but winced. Noticing her pain, he carefully gathered her into his arms and began to make his way out of the halls and to his own chambers.

  
"Thank you." She mumbled, head resting on his shoulder as she tried to keep her eyes open, Snoke's intrusion draining her energy entirely. Kylo tried to deny the fact that he felt content when she said that, he tried to deny that when he laid her gently down onto his bed he didn't feel as if there was a perfect balance within the air or the doubt that seemed to course through him about the dark side when she grabbed his hand, looking him in the eyes as if he wasn't a monster, as if he were a normal person, as if he were Ben. Or when exhaustion finally consumed her, and her eyes slid shut, hand falling limply beside her, did he feel that she was his to protect.


	4. Kenobi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a playlist for this work here : https://open.spotify.com/user/1194181453/playlist/0h52KzqNrG6G3jyUANDttu?si=RkKZuMuTRaKHDYKPAjyDBQ . I've put a '*' in each chapter for the songs so you know when to play them if you want to have an immersive read :)). The songs for this chapter are The Starkiller by John Williams and Anakin's Betrayal by John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra.

~~~~"We can no longer train together." Kylo deadpanned as soon as he stepped into her chambers, catching her in the act of patching up a particularly large cut on her left cheek from her evening encounter with Snoke. Evelyn frowned, not expecting Kylo's presence or his statement. In an agitated huff, she threw down her antiseptic wipe and looked at Kylo with a look of anger and disbelief.

"What are you talking about, Ren?" She asked, waiting for whatever pathetic excuse he would come up with in order to have her floated from this ship as quickly as possible.

"You cannot train effectively in your condition." He stated, refusing to make eye contact with her, instead, looking at the shining marble floor. A brief silence followed. Evelyn, who was expecting some long speech about how her presence was pointless on board or how the ways of a Sith cannot be enforced upon a Grey Jedi was surprised. Ever since Kylo had brought her back to his chambers that evening some months ago, he seemed to have kept his distance, the pull to the light never being more strong when she was around. However, within that time, Snoke took it upon himself to personally punish Evelyn for reasons even he would not admit, however, deep down, Evelyn knew. It wasn't just because she was weakening his young protege, no, it was something much more than that.

"This is preposterous, I am perfectly able to train in my condi-" She went to continue but was cut off by a sharp piercing sensation near her ribs, making her kneel over slightly. Kylo finally looked at her, not knowing how to react in such a situation, instead, freezing on the spot and watching as she struggled to catch her breath. *"This is what he wants, can't you see? All he needs is one excuse to kill me." She wheezed, looking up and meeting Kylo's concerned gaze. Swallowing, Kylo looked down once more.

"I can not let you train, not until you are healed and-"

"I'm not going to heal, Kylo." She said painfully, not just at the physical pain but at the unfortunate truth. "He won't let me." Kylo hated how powerless he felt every time she was beckoned to the hall, all he could do was wait until she came out with a myriad of bruises and cuts and watch somewhat fearfully as she trudged back to her chambers to patch herself up. Some nights he would send a medical droid in to aid her when he failed to find the courage or will to go in himself. It amazed him how she would still show up to train with him every morning, but at the same time, made him more concerned as she grew weaker and weaker. "You may as well just kill me now." She tried to joke, however, her smile was sad and her eyes held truth.

"Do not say such things, you will not be killed because you cannot train, all you need is rest and-"

"Kylo." She said more sternly, making his brown eyes immediately snap up to meet her own. Her hand held her side in pain as once again the piercing sensation returned at what she deducted was a broken rib. "You are in denial. You and I both know that he will continue to do this to me until..." She trailed off, eyes darting away from Kylo's and to the floor.

"Until what?" He asked, intrigued as Snoke had not given any reason as to why he punished the defenceless Grey Jedi. Evelyn refused to answer or even look his way which seemed to stir something within Kylo. "Until what, Evelyn?" He asked with more authority, stepping closer to the seated padawan. As Kylo's large figure blocked the light from the window, Evelyn looked up, her eyes squinting slightly as she seemed to assess the young man in front of her.

"Why did you come to Jedha?" Her complete change of topic made Kylo frown and begin to protest however Evelyn quickly cut him off and repeated her question.

"It was an investigative mission given by..." Kylo stopped himself, swallowing thickly.

"Given by whom?" Evelyn asked knowingly, simply wanting to hear the words from Kylo's mouth.

*"Snoke." He spat, not fully understanding the relevance of the question. Slowly and with great difficulty, Evelyn stood, frame not nearly tall enough to match Kylo's however, gave her more power as she faced him.

"Why did he send you there?" She asked as she began to uneasily walk to the window, looking out into the vast galactic sky. Kylo was baffled and watched her figure with great anticipation.

"He-He said he felt a force there, hiding in seclusion." Kylo sceptically answered, watching as Evelyn seemed to turn her head at his answer, however not turning her entire body in union. "A force belonging to Obi-Wan Kenobi." He said, frown deepening as Evelyn seemed to tense up at the name as what she believed was true.

"That can not be true, Obi-Wan Kenobi is-"

"Dead. Exactly." A tense silence seemed to fill the room as Evelyn looked out at the stars, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.  
"It wasn't Obi-Wan Kenobi on Jedha." She whispered, wiping one of the tears that fell quickly away. "It's all my fault." She mumbled to herself, however, Kylo heard it clearly. It all seemed to come crashing down upon him as he realised what she had meant when asking the question.

"You're..." He couldn't seem to find his words, his voice weakening and trailing off into silence. Time seemed to stop for a moment as Evelyn finally found the clarification as to why Snoke ordered her into that dreaded hall every night, prying around in her mind, searching for the very thing that he had suspected to be lurking on Jedha. Unknowingly, Kylo had placed it right into his lap.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi... was my grandfather, it is not his force Snoke felt, but mine. Why else do you think he calls me into that blasted room every night?" Evelyn finally turned to face Kylo, she could feel him through the Force. Shock, confusion, dismay, admiration.

"Why didn't you tell me?" His voice was so quiet it was almost inaudible. Another tear fell down her cheek, splashing onto the floor.

  
"Because you would have killed me." Her voice was strained, struggling to get the words out as she assumed this would be her last moments alive. "But that doesn't matter now. You know, and you have no reason to keep me alive." A pang of hurt shot straight through Kylo's chest, hesitantly, he stepped closer, watching as Evelyn closed her eyes, expecting to feel the hot sting of Ren's lightsaber; instead, she was met with a gloved hand, gently caressing the side of her face. Her eyes slowly opened, breath laboured and body trembling slightly as she looked into Kylo's soft brown eyes.

"I will not tell him." He whispered, using his thumb to wipe the tear that escaped her eye away. Evelyn was in disbelief, not expecting this from the man who destroyed her entire moon, the man who kept her here against her will.

"W-Why?" Her voice trembled, quiet and unsure. Kylo didn't reply, he simply let his gaze linger on her for a few more moments, taking in the way the soft light from the stars outside her window shone down upon her face, illuminating her features, making her look ethereal as she stood there at the mercy of him, before removing his hand and walking out of her quarters briskly.  
Evelyn could feel it within him when he looked into her eyes, his gentle caress of her cheek. There was still light buried within him, deep down. And Evelyn knew that she must be the one to make it rise.

-

"...And just what right do you think you have to tell me what to do, Grey Jedi?" Snoke sneered, looking down at Evelyn in disgust.

  
"He has nothing to do with how slow I am progressing. It is myself and myself only, the ways of the Sith cannot be forced upon the Grey Jed-" The wind was knocked out of Evelyn as Snoke used the Force to send another blow to her stomach. "Do not punish him for my misconduct." She managed to get out.

"Supreme Leader, if I may, I too have noticed a certain weakness in Commander Ren." General Hux added, peering down at the padawan, wounded on the ground at the 'meeting'.

"This is false." Evelyn sat up slightly straighter, looking directly at Snoke's mangled face. "Kylo Ren is not weak by any means."

  
"You are the one causing this, scum." Hux spat, looking at the woman with anger at the disturbance of his operation in the past few months. "It is you who has made him dismiss his orders and-"

"Silence!" Snoke shouted, snapping Hux out of his rage and bringing the attention back to himself once again. "Grey Jedi, leave. I expect you to return tomorrow."

As soon as Evelyn had left the hall, General Hux hesitantly began to speak again.

"Supreme Leader, I fear the First Order has no use for this Grey Jedi, what point is there in keeping her alive?" He asked timidly. Snoke seemed to peer off into the distance, lost in thought.

"She shall remain alive. At least until I find out just exactly who she is." Snoke's brow furrowed, rather infuriated by the girl's resilience to his power.

"Does this have something to do with the Jedha mission, sir?" Hux asked, but was met with the slow dispersion of the Force projection. As Hux briskly left the hall, Kylo stepped out from his hiding place between the hall door and wall, blending in with the shadows. His frown deepened as he recollected all that he had heard. If Snoke found out that Evelyn was a Kenobi, he would surely kill her, the risk of a power greater than his too high to chance. But what really struck Kylo was the way that his apprentice seemed to sacrifice herself for him without a second thought.


	5. Forgive me, Master.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a playlist for this work here : https://open.spotify.com/user/1194181453/playlist/0h52KzqNrG6G3jyUANDttu?si=RkKZuMuTRaKHDYKPAjyDBQ . I've put a '*' in each chapter for the songs so you know when to play them if you want to have an immersive read :)). The songs for this chapter are Harry's Sacrifice by Alexandre Desplat, Dumbledore's Farewell by Nicholas Hooper and Goodbye Brother by Ramin Djawadi.

*Stormtroopers began to file out of the ship as it landed, setting alight the villagers homes without mercy, dragging them opposite the ship entrance in a screaming bundle.

Evelyn watched in horror from the front of the ship, chaos unfolding before her very eyes. She only cast her gaze away when she felt a gentle hand lay on her shoulder.

"Evelyn." Kylo only needed to say her name for her to know what he meant, she turned around to face him, looking into his eyes pleadingly.

"Please, don't make me." She almost begged, the Force pulsing around her as she fought the urge to cry at what she was being forced to do.

"It is Snoke's orders," Kylo said sadly, looking down at her with pitiful eyes, feeling her emotions as if they were his own: desperation, fear, forgiveness. "You know what he will do if he finds out you took no part."

Evelyn sighed and looked down, defeated as she knew that she would surely be killed.

-

 _"You are to join Ren on this mission, Grey_ Jedi, _and will kill anyone you are ordered to. See this as a chance to prove your worth." Snoke_ grinned, _his rotten yellow teeth like sharp decaying rocks. "Mark my words, your fate lies in the securing of this map. Find it, and I shall consider you a worthy apprentice." He spoke gravely, making Evelyn swallow the saliva that had built up in her mouth._

  
_Kylo watched her from the corner of his eye, admiring the way she did not falter as she stared Snoke down, almost awaiting some kind of abuse to follow. Her hands behind her back shook slightly, however, the rest of her body remained still and composed._

_"Yes," Her voice seemed to become caught in her throat as if it would not allow her to finish her sentence. "Supreme Leader." She finally willed herself to say the title sadly, looking down at the ground in shame. Snoke smirked at what he perceived to be_ submission _and leant back in his throne, amused._

_"Do not disappoint me."_

-

"Kylo, please, please don't make me kill anyone." She whispered, looking into his soft, chocolate brown eyes pleadingly. Kylo weakly nodded his head, allowing his hand to squeeze her shoulder softly in reassurance before he turned to put his helmet on. Evelyn let Kylo leave first, his cape flowing rhythmically behind him before following after two stormtroopers. The fires provided an unsettling warmth, warming Evelyn who was only in her grey robes as they made their way down the ramp and to the centre where the villagers were being held.

"Look how old you've become." Kylo observed monotonously, almost mocking the old man who stood before him.

"Something far worse has happened to you." The old man replied, making Evelyn uneasy. Her gaze was fixed on the two, observing every minuscule detail.

"You know what I've come for."

"I know where you come from. Before you called yourself Kylo Ren." Evelyn could feel Kylo tense at the mention of his past, something that he tried to oppress, something she was not too sure about herself, having only been told stories from her master.

"The map to Skywalker, we know you've found it." Kylo began to pace around the man, Evelyn's eyes following his tall cloaked figure in anticipation. "And now you're going to give it to the First Order."

"The First Order rose from the dark side, you did not." The man was testing Kylo's patience, and everyone around could feel the tension in the air.

"I'll show you the dark side." He stated, now face to face with the man who showed no fear whatsoever.

"You may try, but you cannot deny the truth that is your family." A brief silence followed, Evelyn could feel the wind whispering around her and feel the hot embers brush against her skin before Kylo ignited his lightsaber and struck the man viscously down. Evelyn would have looked away had she not have sensed a life force nearing, making her turn to the mound beside her and raise her hand, quickly stopping the blue blaster shot from hitting Kylo.

Kylo turned, having sensed it too but almost too late, casting a brief glance at Evelyn who was concentrating on holding both the blaster and the man with the Force. Two stormtroopers quickly walked up to the man and kicked him in the stomach, allowing them to drag him to their leader hastily.

The cocky pilot nearly elicited a smile from Evelyn, had the situation been anything other than tense and serious. She heard Kylo order for the stormtroopers to bring him on board before standing up and making his way to the ramp once more.

"Sir, the villagers." Phasma awaited an answer as Kylo secretly gazed at Evelyn through his mask.

*"Kill them all." He stated, remembering what Snoke had said, and not wanting to appear weak in front of his colleagues.

-

_"If the girl is making you weak, Ren, then maybe it is time for her to be disposed of." Snoke watched intently for Kylo's reaction, however, the boy remained stoic, fighting the internal battle within._

  
_"That is not the case, Supreme Leader, I assure you." Kylo looked at the ground, not meeting his wicked gaze._

  
_"I do hope you have not lost your touch, Ren. This mission needs to be handled with authority and violence. We cannot have the Republic thinking we are weak."_

  
_"I understand, Supreme Leader. I will do the First Order proud."_

  
_"For her sake, I hope you do."_

-

"Yes, sir." Phasma complied as Kylo marched back onto the ship, not casting a second look to the number of scared villagers who clung to each other helplessly.

Evelyn frowned, releasing the blaster shot which hit the radio tower with a ricochet of sparks. She was about to follow Kylo back into the ship when Phasma caught her arm, holding her in place.

"Let go of me." Evelyn ordered, trying to pry Phasma's tight grip from her arm. Phasma pulled her closer to the villagers who stood anticipating death in denial, before shoving her blaster into her arms roughly. "You can't make me do this." Evelyn shook her head in anger, trying to shove the blaster back into Phasma's arms.

"If I were you, Grey Jedi, I would not refuse." Phasma said in a grave tone, warning and reminding Evelyn of Snoke's promise to her. Defeated, she weakly grasped the blaster in her hands. "On my aim." Evelyn shakily raised the blaster, just enough so that it was pointing at a point within the villagers. "Fire!".

The sounds of screams and blaster shots filled the air, making Evelyn cringe and tears to form in her eyes. She could feel their life force, screaming for help, for mercy.

"Forgive me, Master." With a quiet sob, Evelyn squeezed her eyes shut, and allowed her finger to pull the trigger, the gun jolted with every shot, however, she did not move. Her body became rigid as she continued to hit the innocent people before her, mercilessly. It wasn't until a deafening silence rang throughout the air did she allow the blaster to slip out of her hands and onto the floor, and for her to open her eyes; She didn't allow herself to look at the mass of bodies lying on the sandy ground, she felt numb, drained, ashamed and guilty.

She lifelessly seemed to walk back to the ship, her steps slow and her stare at nothing in particular. Kylo looked up from his position behind the pilot, noticing the way that Evelyn seemed to disassociate with the world around her, her thoughts blank and her eyes lost. He could feel how broken she was, how ashamed and how guilty. It was never his intention to make her do it, but he knew there was nothing he could have done about it. Acting as though he was not affected, he turned back to the pilot, ordering them to head back to the Finalizer.

-

*Evelyn winced in her sleep, head thrashing from side to side as she looked into the lifeless eyes of the victims she shot down.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled. "I didn't want to do it. I didn't want..." Her breathing became erratic as her nightmares plagued her of the previous nights occurrences, except this time her eyes had been open, and she watched as every body fell to the floor at the hands of her.

"Evelyn..." A voice called out to her in her nightmare, making her frown and wildly flail her arms which were quickly held down. "Evelyn." The voice called out, much louder now.

Evelyn's eyes shot open as she returned to reality, frantically trying to see who it was pinning her down in the dark room. Her breathing was rapid and she felt as though her heart would burst out of her chest.

"Evelyn, calm down." The voice spoke again and she instantly recognised it.

"K-Kylo?" She asked in bewilderment, eyes focusing on the large figure sat on the side of her bed. Kylo let go of her arms, feeling her slowly calm down, but did not get up. "What are you doing in here?"

"You were having a nightmare. I felt your distress through the Force." Evelyn could hear how tired he was in his voice, his tone low and gravelly.

"I'm...I'm sorry for waking you." She said, sitting up in her bed and bringing her knees closer to her body.

"Try and go back to sleep." He mumbled after a few moments of silence, standing up and beginning to make his way to the door.

"Kylo?" Evelyn gently called out, still rather uneasy after her nightmare. Kylo turned around, managing to see her frightened face in the dim light. "I..." Evelyn couldn't find the words, but Kylo knew exactly what she meant. I don't want to be alone, please don't leave me, please don't leave me here.

Hesitantly, he trudged over to the other side of the bed, carefully lifting back the covers, waiting for her to protest, however, found that she simply watched as he climbed into the bed, laying flat on his back and closing his eyes. It took her a few minutes until she too laid down, her back facing Kylo as she tried to force herself to sleep. Somehow, with him simply next to her, she felt safe, she felt as though nothing could harm her, and with that thought in mind, she allowed herself to sleep.

When she awoke in the morning Kylo was gone. It didn't surprise her, in fact, she was surprised by the fact that he stayed in the first place. But for some reason, she felt as though there was a change in the Force. Sighing, she dragged herself out of bed, limping from Snoke's interrogation the previous night and began to get dressed, mentally preparing herself for the day's abuse that awaited. She didn't know why she stayed, she could probably leave the ship if she devised a good enough plan. She didn't know why she allowed herself to suffer Snoke's wrath, or why she felt drawn to the very man who had destroyed her entire home. But, somehow, she feared that it was the latter who made her stay.


	6. Trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a playlist for this work here : https://open.spotify.com/user/1194181453/playlist/0h52KzqNrG6G3jyUANDttu?si=RkKZuMuTRaKHDYKPAjyDBQ . I've put a '*' in each chapter for the songs so you know when to play them if you want to have an immersive read :)). The songs for this chapter are Someone Loves Us by Dario Marianelli and Dawn of a New Time by Johan Söderqvist.

Kylo slammed his lightsaber into the control panels, swiping and slashing in an outburst of rage. The officer who he had just throttled scrambled out of the room, running as far from Ren as possible. He could only see red as he continued to furiously slice mercilessly, feeling his anger travel through his body and out into the relentless hits. Amidst his furious haze, however, he heard the soft calling of his name, making him halt in place. He turned around, breathing slightly erratic, coming out as muffle static through his mask and met the face of Evelyn, who was leaning against the door with her arms crossed.

"What do you want?" He asked, annoyed at the sudden intrusion, yet at the same time thankful as he felt his breathing begin to slow down in her presence.

"I came here to ask you about the mission, but I can see it's not a good time." She lightly jested, trying to lighten the mood. "What happened?"

"I am under no obligation to tell y-"

"Yes, but what would be the point in keeping it from me? You know I will find out sooner or later, and considering that my life is on the line here too, wouldn't it just be easier if I heard it from you?" She asked, pushing herself from the wall and closer to Ren who still had his lightsaber ignited, hanging loosely in his grip.

*Evelyn stood in front of Kylo and cast her gaze down to his lightsaber in mild interest. Slowly, she gripped the other side of it in his hand, their fingers brushing slightly, sending a shiver down Kylo's neck. He didn't protest, just watched in awe inside his mask as she gently pulled it out of his grip and into her hands. She observed it, admiring the custom rouge light which sprouted from three points, and a feeling of familiarity consumed her as she held a lightsaber once again; something Kylo could feel.

"The droid is gone. FN2187 and a girl from Jakku are harbouring it." Kylo informed, snapping Evelyn and frankly himself out of their daze, Evelyn's eyes looking up to meet the dark mask of Kylo.

"I'm assuming that it will be hard to find them then." Evelyn looked down, turning off the lightsaber and gently placing it back into his hand. She seemed to become mellow as she realised how angry Snoke would be at her, even though she had no control over whether or not the droid was to be found. Kylo sensed this and brought a gloved hand to her cheek, making her look back up to him.

"You had nothing to do with this, it is my fault, I will make sure he knows that." Kylo assured, watching as she shook her head lightly.

"You cannot take the blame," She protested softly, reaching her own hand up to grasp his which cupped her cheek. "I will not let you."

"I can take whatever punishment he deems fit-"

"It's not that." Her face grew solemn, a sad look in her eyes as she ran her finger across the smooth leather of his glove. "He thinks I am making you weak, I cannot let him think that is true." Kylo was once again surprised by her selfless thoughts and seemed to lose his voice in the matter as he thought over what she had said.

"It will be unjust if-" He lost his words as Evelyn continued to stare at him, pleading him to listen to her.

"Promise me." She began, pulling his hand from her face and instead, intertwining their fingers together in urgency. "Promise me you won't take full responsibility." She pleaded, her caring tone making Kylo confused.

"I..." Evelyn squeezed his hand to reassure him. "I promise." He said with hesitance, however, Evelyn seemed to deem that enough as she nodded her head, giving him a small smile before walking back to her chambers. Kylo watched sadly, knowing that Snoke would show no mercy later tonight; but was beyond thankful at her righteous act.

-

_Meet me in my chambers immediately. I have something for you._

Evelyn wondered what Kylo could possibly have meant, but obeyed nonetheless, and quickly found herself walking to his personal chambers. They wouldn't often speak to each other through the Force, purely because they didn't like to intrude on the others thoughts, which is why it made it all the more interesting to Evelyn.

"What is it, Kylo?" She asked as she stepped into his room, noticing the dim lighting immediately, the only light being from the starry sky and a small lamp in the far corner of the room. She noticed Kylo's silhouette simply standing in front of the window, observing the space outside. *"Kylo?" She asked slowly, much more gently as she felt his emotions: calm, conflicted, nervous.

Kylo remained silent, simply turning his head and motioning with his hand for her to come over to him. Cautiously, Evelyn made her way over, standing next to him in front of the window, though her eyes remained on his face, no mask in sight.

"I think it is time for you to have this back." He said, reaching to his belt and plucking Evelyn's lightsaber from it. Evelyn's eyes widened but she remained silent as Kylo seemed to contemplate his next actions. With his free hand, he reached down and grabbed one of hers, skin to skin rather than the rough leather. His touch was so gentle, more gentle than when he wore his gloves. Bringing her hand closer to him, he placed the lightsaber gently into her outstretched palm and closed her fingers around it with his own. His grasp lingered for a few seconds before he allowed her hand to slip from his, feeling somewhat saddened by the loss of contact, however, he moved his gaze back to the stars.

"Ren," She whispered, not knowing what to say, not knowing how to say thank you, but she didn't need to, Kylo could feel all of her emotions, merging with his own, as if they were one.

Evelyn looked at the lightsaber in her hand, enjoying the coolness of the metal, the familiarity in the mould. A warm smile found its way onto her face, memories of her old master seemingly attached to the small piece of metal and crystal. Allowing a tear to slip from her eye, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a gentle kiss to Kylo's cheek. She could feel that he was surprised, not having felt a touch so kind and delicate in a very long time, but it was her way of saying thank you; thank you for trusting me, thank you for giving me this piece of my past.

Knowing that Kylo would not react or say anything, she made her own way out, only after placing a hand on his shoulder and expressing her gratitude through the warmth that seemed to seep through his clothing.

"Evelyn." He called out, just before she left the room. "Have you felt it?" He asked, turning around and looking her in the eyes, the light from the hallway casting a silver light into the room.

"The change in the Force? Yes."


	7. Red on White.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a playlist for this work here : https://open.spotify.com/user/1194181453/playlist/0h52KzqNrG6G3jyUANDttu?si=RkKZuMuTRaKHDYKPAjyDBQ . I've put a '*' in each chapter for the songs so you know when to play them if you want to have an immersive read :)). The songs for this chapter are Epilogue by Henry Jackman, A new Alliance by John Williams, Leaving Earth by Clint Mansell and Last Words by Dario Marianelli.

  
*A cool breeze seemed to sweep through Kylo's personal chambers. The monochrome metallic walls not inviting any kind of warmth.

  
Kylo sat hunched on his bed, elbows resting on his knees as he ran his hands over his face stressfully, almost seeming to wipe the tiredness away. Evelyn watched from her spot in the living chair, settled next to the window. She found herself coming into his chambers almost every night after he gave her lightsaber back to her, and nearly every night he would come in, angered and stressed, clumsily fall onto the bed and simply sit there. They had come to find solace within one another, an unlikely bond had formed in the short period of time that Evelyn had been there, a bond of unspoken feelings and forgotten memories. Evelyn had come to easily see into his mind at this time, his guard down, emotions all over the place; usually he didn't want to be disturbed and Evelyn could see that, but tonight was different. Tonight, it was almost as if the Force was coaxing her to come to the bed, warping around him, making him a beacon of energy.

  
"What is wrong, Ren?" She asked from the living area, watching as Kylo seemed to tense as the peaceful silence was broken. He remained silent, not answering, instead, burying his face further into his hands. "You know, if you won't tell me, I could just look-"

  
"Don't." He growled. A very quiet sound, strained almost, but she heard the desperation underlying the anger. Sighing, she placed her datapad on the small mahogany table and carefully trod over to the bed, sitting a few feet away from him. Kylo felt the bed dip beside him, causing his muscles to contract at the sudden proximity. He could feel the Force flowing from her, a beautiful breathing rhythm which he found intoxicating.

  
"You know you can talk to me." She whispered softly, leaning forward on her own knees so she could look up at him even though he refused to show his face. "Kylo." She pressed in the same tone, hands slowly reaching up and gently gripping his own, pulling them away from his face to reveal a frail young man, Ben Solo, who shamefully looked at the ground as he tried to swallow his emotions. His lack of resistance shocked her, whenever they would accidentally touch hands in the hallway or simply tumble on top of one another in training, Kylo would freeze and remove himself from the situation and build up his wall over and over again. But now, his wall seemed to crumble as he faced a reality he dare not admit to even himself.

  
"I fear that it will not be long until Luke Skywalker is found. This scavenger girl..." Kylo spoke with venom and hatred.

  
"You are doing everything you can. You should not fret yourself l-"

  
"You don't understand." He spoke harshly and with strain, slowly looking up into her worried eyes as she watched him struggle to form sentences. "Everything depends on this." Evelyn was confused at how truly distressed he seemed to be, feeling his emotions as if they were her own.

  
"Kylo," She placed a gentle hand on his broad shoulder, trying to calm him down to some extent. "I'm sure Snoke will continue to train you, regardless of whether they get to Luke. The First Order is a force to be reckoned with and-"

  
"You stupid girl." He whispered, shaking his head and casting his gaze down to the floor. "Is that all you think I care about?" She could see the last glance he gave her before standing up that he was hurt, but she did not want to assume something that might not be true.

  
"Wait, Kylo-" She stood up too and followed him to the door, gripping his arm to stop him from walking away. "I know more than anyone what depends on this, but I trust you. You are a Commander capable of doing this, and I know that whatever happens, whatever the future holds, you will succeed." Kylo noticed how she didn't reference Snoke, the dark side or the light, she left the statement open, which sent his mind spiralling.

  
"Your life is in danger, Evelyn." Kylo stressed, not understanding how calm she could be in the tense situation that had built up since the Rey had escaped.

  
"My life has been in danger ever since I left my home, Kylo." Evelyn sadly smiled, loosening her grip on his arm but not letting go entirely. "You knew I would never join the dark side, so why did you keep me here?" She looked into his eyes and noticed how he seemed to tense up, she could even feel the muscles in his arms contract.

  
"I needed an Apprenti-" Evelyn shook her head, moving one step closer towards him.

  
"What was the real reason?" She asked in a mere whisper, wanting whatever the answer was to be kept in between their breaths which seemed to merge together in the now close space.

  
"I...I was drawn to your Force, I felt as if..."

  
"As if you needed me to stay." Evelyn finished for him. Slowly, she brought her other hand up and gently caressed his face, Kylo immediately leant into her gentle touch, bringing his own hand up and over her own.

  
"I cannot win this fight against Snoke, Kylo. I fear Snoke is close to learning the truth about my blood, all he needs is one excuse to be rid of me." Her thumb lightly traced from his cheekbone to his lips. "You are the only reason I have not given in." She whispered, and the proximity between the two became smaller and smaller until their lips lightly brushed against one another. They would have connected had it not have been for the deafening voice inside Evelyn's head, making her pull away violently and hold her head in pain.

  
"Snoke?" Kylo asked, slight sadness and fear in his tone. Evelyn nodded, composing herself and straightening her grey robes. Nothing more was said as Evelyn walked past him, giving him a sorrowful look before leaving to head for the hall.

  
-

  
*"...Tell me!" Snoke roared, the Force's pressure on Evelyn's head making her scream out as she was held in mid-air by the Supreme Leader.

  
"I have n-nothing to tell you." She managed to spit out, face scrunched up in agony as Snoke relentlessly delved through her mind, all of her memories, all of what she had seen.

  
"You are hiding something from me, Grey Jedi. I can feel it." Snoke had become enraged, after many months of attempting to find the truth and finding nothing but an empty void, he pushed his limits further. "Who are you?" He shouted, his voice echoing through the empty room. Even through hyperspace, Evelyn could feel his anger, making her smirk through the pain.

  
"I will tell you nothing." Her smugness was short lived as the pressure seemed to travel through her entire body, her voice becoming raw by the fierce shouts that left her mouth involuntarily.

  
"Don't tempt me, Grey Jedi, the only reason you are still alive is because of that boy, because he thinks you will change." He mocked Kylo, aggravating Evelyn, something that Snoke sensed. "Oh, so you feel something for my protege?" It as Snoke's turn to smirk now, watching as Evelyn remained silent, sweat beginning to drip from her forehead and onto the ground.

  
"I-I don't know what you're talking about." She stuttered, Snoke's smirk growing wider, contorting the stiff muscles in his deformed face.

  
"Tell me who you are, Grey Jedi, and I won't kill him." He threatened, making Evelyn frown.

  
"You wouldn't da-"

  
"Oh but I would. I felt it before, and I feel it now, now that you are so weak and vulnerable." Evelyn could feel it in her mind, the barrier she had built up being penetrated by Snoke's keen Force.

  
"Are you threatened by me, Snoke?" She managed to get out, body convulsing from the pain and energy. "Are you threatened by the only woman who will not bow down before you-"

  
"Show me, or I'll kill him!" He shouted once more, power stronger than ever as Snoke felt the Starkiller tremble, making Evelyn scream out in agony, finally feeling Snoke course through all of her memories. "Kenobi..." He mumbled to himself, so quiet Evelyn couldn't hear it over the loud ringing that clouded her mind. Suddenly, the pressure went and she fell to the floor with a weak yelp. She managed to glance upward, only to see Snoke visibly shaken, his eyes wide and his mind whirring.

  
Evelyn watched with trepidation as Snoke's Force projection dissolved, leaving her alone in that dreaded room, knowing that now there was little time left until Snoke decided to kill her, for he had seen much more than what he bargained for.

  
-

  
*Evelyn had just managed to drag herself to her chambers when a sudden tremble made her collapse into her desk. The ground seemed to shake and shudder, making Evelyn immediately head out of her room and to the main sector which was usually where Hux and Kylo were.

  
"What is going on?" Evelyn managed to get out, still limping from the encounter with Snoke, asking any of the panicked officers who seemed to be frantically pressing buttons. "What is happening to the base?" She asked sternly, gripping one of the young officers tightly, his face morphed into one of fear.

  
"T-The base, the stars energy it-it-"

  
"Well, spit it out!" She ordered in anticipation, rather worried as the ground continued to rumble.

  
"It is going to blow up the planet!" He pulled his arm from her grip and began to run for the hallway. Evelyn was shocked, not knowing how to react in this situation.

  
"Where is Kylo Ren?" She asked one of the few officers actually sat at their assigned panels attempting to stop the combustion.

  
"He went after the scavenger and the traitor, out the west exit." She replied, not diverting her attention away from the numerous buttons and levers.

  
Without a second thought, Evelyn began to run as quickly as she could in her current state, ignoring the burning sensation she felt in her limbs and the agonizing pulsations in her head, towards the West exit. She shivered as she finally step foot out into the chilling climate, the snow nipping at the skin on her bare arms. Using her cloak as coverage, she began to follow the small drops of blood and footprints which were imprinted into the white snow.

  
Once she was deep in the forest she could feel that familiar pull, guiding her towards a Force; it was weak, unstable, slowly throbbing it would seem in pain. She let her feet guide her, her hand on her lightsaber just in case the scavenger or stormtrooper were about, and soon found herself in a small clearing. The pull was intense now, steering her to a collection of trees near the enormous crack in the planet's surface.

  
"Kylo!" She gasped, running over to the wounded boy who laid in the snow, freezing and falling in and out of consciousness. Evelyn threw herself down next to him, noticing the multiple wounds he had gained, but more so the one which stretched from his eyebrow to his collarbone. Carefully, she lifted his head into her lap, stroking the hair sticking to his face back.

  
*"E-Evelyn." He mumbled, reaching a gloved hand up to her cheek, tenderly caressing it with a profound fondness.

  
"I'm right here, Kylo." She whispered, tears beginning to fall down her face as she tried to shelter them both with her cloak. "I'm not going to leave you." Kylo seemed to smile lightly despite the crude situation. Evelyn could hear a ship take off amongst the trees, though her mind remained centred on Ren, ignoring the violent shakes which knocked and twisted the trees ruthlessly. The snow fell lightly around them, contrasting the harsh vibrations which coursed through the planet's core, coating the two in a sprinkle of white. Blood had begun to seep into the snow from Kylo's wound, red on white, making Evelyn apply pressure in vain.

  
A certain air of peace surrounded the two, even though these were their last moments alive in their eyes, they were somewhat content simply in each other's arms.

  
"I-I'm sorry." Kylo shuddered at the cold, wiping away one of the tears which fell from her solemn eyes. "I-I'm sorry I t-took you away from your home, I'm s-sorry I destroyed it and-" Evelyn shushed him, a sad smile on her face as she leant down and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "F-Forgive me?"

  
"I forgave you a long time ago, Kylo." She looked into his eyes with so much emotion that Kylo could feel it warming him inside, could feel it coursing through him like blood through his veins.

  
The planet let out another rumble, this one more violent and aggressive. Kylo closed his eyes, taking one of Evelyn's cold hands into his own, and guided her forehead down to rest on his as the two awaited death expectantly. Only death never seemed to come, rather disappointedly, instead, ship doors greeted them with a snivelling ginger General at the end, waiting to take the two to their Supreme Leader, and off the crumbling planet.

  
Many droids had begun to work on Kylo, removing his shirt, stitching up his wounds and disinfecting the large cut on his face which would surely need some form of mesh. Evelyn gripped his hand tightly, not wanting to part with him in case he slipped away, in case he didn't wake up.

  
Evelyn managed to see it from one of the windows, the explosion, a bright burst of yellow energy which ricocheted for miles, causing the ship they were on to shake slightly. It was a beautiful catastrophe before her very eyes, it made her think of when her home had been destroyed. And as the ship surged into lightspeed, a sickening feeling of trepidation overcame her, as they headed for the very home of the one creature who wanted to see her dead, the Mega-class Star Dreadnought, flagship of Snoke.


	8. Millaflower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a playlist for this work here : https://open.spotify.com/user/1194181453/playlist/0h52KzqNrG6G3jyUANDttu?si=RkKZuMuTRaKHDYKPAjyDBQ . I've put a '*' in each chapter for the songs so you know when to play them if you want to have an immersive read :)). The songs for this chapter are I Wish I Had a Hundred Years by Fernando Velázquez, Big Dreams by Fernando Velázquez and Awake by Jeremy Soule.

  
Kylo stood motionless, completely detached from reality as his mind was clouded with conflict and doubt. His gloveless hand gripped his lightsaber tightly, his finger turning white at the intensity of his grip.

"Kylo, the medical ward said that you left in a hurry whilst I was asleep, you forgot to take the cream for your sca-" Evelyn stopped herself when she saw Kylo simply stood in front of the window in his chambers, his emotions all over the place. "Kylo?" She asked softly, putting down the ointment she had collected for him down on the dresser. "Kylo, what's wrong?" She asked beginning to make her way over to him, taking small, cautious steps.

They had only just arrived at the Mega-class star Dreadnought, Kylo was immediately tended to and the superficial mesh was inserted into his wound to help it heal. When he awoke, however, Evelyn by his side a few hours after arriving, Snoke requested his presence with urgency, confusing the discombobulated boy.

_*"You will do as I say, Ren. Your training is incomplete." Snoke sneered at Kylo's reluctant attitude._

_"I killed Han Solo, when the moment came I didn't hesitate." Kylo bit back, angering Snoke inside._

_"You will do as I say._ _" Snoke spoke slowly, emphasising each word with venom._

_"The girl has done nothing wrong she-"_

_"Enough! This is not to be discussed." Snoke stalked back to his chair, sitting down with a smirk on his face. "It is to be done tonight."_

­"Kylo?" She asked again, reaching a hand out to grab his shoulder, however, let it fall down by her side as Kylo slowly turned around, tears glistening in his eyes, his lightsaber in his hand. "Oh." Her voice was no more than a whisper, finally understanding his quiet nature and the emotions which seemed to twist and turn in constant motion.

"You were right." He choked out, unable to hold back the tears any longer, allowing them to fall smoothly off of his face. "You cannot win against Snoke."

Evelyn nodded her head, and with trembling hands she gently gripped Kylo's hand holding the lightsaber, bringing it towards her stomach where she held it in place. Kylo was shocked, a frown on his face as he looked at her in disbelief, expecting some kind of resistance or fight.

"I do not blame you, Kylo. If anyone is to do it, I want it to be you." She whispered, tears of her own falling down her face. "It's okay." She tried to soothe, resting her forehead against his and bringing her other hand to his neck, feeling the dampened locks of raven hair with her fingers. Kylo tried to centre himself, attempting to bite back the sob that was rising in his throat.

The hand holding his lightsaber was shaking, his finger on the button which would ignite the saber, straight through Evelyn's abdomen. He looked at her face, noticing how her eyes were closed as if she had made peace with herself, with him. Her breathing was calm, her emotions were controlled.

A minute of silence past until it was broken by Kylo letting out a yell of frustration, throwing his lightsaber across the room with force. His breath was uneven and shaky as he stood frozen, eyes cast to the floor as he refused to meet her gaze.

"Leave." He murmured, voice weak. Evelyn was in stood in a daze of awe and confusion, not knowing how to react. "Leave!" He said more harshly, but Evelyn knew that he was doing this for her.

With tears streaming down her face, she wordlessly stepped forward, lifting his chin up to meet her pained gaze. Closing her eyes, she leaned up and pressed her lips against his, Kylo almost immediately reacting and cupping her cheeks, deepening the kiss with a fit of passion and urgency. Their brows furrowed as they clung to each other for all they knew would be the last time they would ever see each other. Their Force seemed to merge and intertwine, forming a warm blanket of energy around them. Fear, sadness, desperation, conflict, but most prominently, love.

"You have to go." He whispered, regretfully pulling away, their breath coating the others face. Evelyn nodded weakly, her nose rubbing against Kylo's slightly.

"Thank you, Ben." She mumbled, looking into his teary brown eyes one last time, placing one last gentle kiss on his lips. Kylo kept his eyes closed, not wanting to see her go; he could only feel her move away from him, leaving only her weak scent of millaflower behind as if she were a ghost and the fading sounds of her boots against the cold metal floors.

-

"General! An enemy TIE fighter has entered the atmosphere." Admiral Ackbar alerted the mourning General, who was quick to return to her usual demeanour.

"Is it hostile?" She asked, walking with the Admiral towards the docking area outside.

"No ma'am." He replied hastily. A flicker of hope ignited within her, the possibility that her son would be the one flying, returning home making her heart beat quicker.

The warm heat of D'Qar instantly hit the two as they made their way outside, spotting a now landed TIE Fighter not too far from the base.

"Is it alone?" Leia asked as a few pilots ran past her to join the squadron all lined up with their guns aimed directly at it.

"From what we know of, ma'am, yes." Admiral Ackbar stated watching the doors of the fighter with anticipation.

The TIE fighter let out a hiss of steam from the unsteady landing, Leia could see now the battered wing which seemed to be hanging on by a few wires and beams. The door opened partly, two hands pulling it up the rest of the way to reveal a young woman who was slightly frazzled and had a cut on the side of her head from impact.

"Halt!" One of the pilots called out as the woman unbuckled herself from the crumbling fighter and dropped down onto the ground. "Don't move!"

"I need to speak with General Leia Organa." The voice called out, loud and assertive. Leia stepped forward so the woman could see her, but Poe put an arm out in front of her to stop her going any further.

"Who are you?" Poe asked cautiously, keeping his gun trained on her just in case.

"My name is Evelyn Kenobi, and I wish to speak with the General." A silence fell upon the crowd, no one knowing how to react. *Leia was the first to move as she stepped forward, ignoring Poe's grip on her arm. She could tell by the way she was dressed, Grey robes, a lightsaber on her waist, long, dark auburn hair; she was a Jedi.

"Come with me, dear. I'm sure we have a lot to talk about." Leia offered a warm smile and extended her arm out to Evelyn.

-

"...Ahsoka was my master, she took me in after my mother died and trained me on Jedha. She was a magnificent teacher, someone who I owe a lot to, it is a shame she is gone now." Evelyn sipped her Bantha stew gratefully, reminiscing in the times with her master.

"I am so sorry for your loss." Leia laid a comforting hand on top of Evelyn's, giving it a squeeze in reasurrance.

"I still feel her, with me in the Force. She guides me even now." Evelyn smiled with fondness. "Ben found me on Jedha many months ago under the order of Snoke. He claimed he needed an apprentice, but it was much more than that." Evelyn put down her spoon and gently gripped both of Leia's hands with her own. "There is still light within him, Leia. I felt it. It is Ben who allowed me to escape, who defied Snoke's orders to kill me." Evelyn could see a small flicker of hope burn behind Leia's eyes, underneath the film of tears that had built up.

"You truly believe that?" She asked quietly, looking deep into Evelyn's soul. Evelyn nodded, a gentle smile on her face.

"I came to you, because I know you are the only person that can help me. I cannot go back, but I cannot simply let Snoke continue to turn him from the Light." Leia seemed to dwell for a moment, before nodding her head, sending a warm smile Evelyn's way.

"I'm not the only person who can help you, Evelyn." She said, standing up and motioning for Evelyn to follow. Leia lead her down a hallway and into a large command room where two droids were situated. "R2, BB8, show us the map." Both of the droids whirred and seemed to get into place before a large holographic map flickered into the air.

"Is this-?" Evelyn walked closer, studying the constellations carefully.

"The map to Luke Skywalker." Leia finished, watching as Evelyn's eyes lit up at the mention of his name. "He will help you, Evelyn. You must get him to help you." Leia walked closer to the girl, gripping her forearm gently. "For Ben."

-

*"We'll see each other again, I believe that." Rey leant over and placed a kiss on Finn's forehead. "Thank you, my friend."

Evelyn and Leia watched from the hallway door. It had now been a day since Evelyn had arrived and already herself, Rey and Chewbacca were set out to find Luke.

"Are you ready?" Evelyn asked, not wanting to rush the padawan as she cast one last glance at her injured friend.

"Yes, let's go." She nodded, leading the way out of the doors and to the Millenium Falcon.

-

Leia pulled away from the long hug first, squeezing Evelyn's shoulder one last time as she began to join Rey in walking to the Falcon.

"Girls," Leia called out, making them both turn in unison. "May the Force be with you." Evelyn and Rey looked at each other and then to Leia, Evelyn nodded her head and sent a thankful smile towards her.

Rey joined Chewbacca in flying the Falcon, as it had been discussed earlier that day that Rey was far more suitable for flying than Evelyn was, and ignited the engine, a low purr rattling the ship slightly with its vibrations.

The jump to lightspeed was quick, and Evelyn could see from her seat in the dining area that there was now a small blue planet in front of them. Descending into its atmosphere turned the vast black sky into a luscious blue as the Falcon pierced through the clouds.

"This is it." Evelyn said, standing behind Chewie and Rey, holding onto the back of their seats for support.

"It is." Rey mumbled, looking up at Evelyn with hope as they neared the largest island amidst the vast blue ocean.


	9. Betrayal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a playlist for this work here : https://open.spotify.com/user/1194181453/playlist/0h52KzqNrG6G3jyUANDttu?si=RkKZuMuTRaKHDYKPAjyDBQ . I've put a '*' in each chapter for the songs so you know when to play them if you want to have an immersive read :)). The songs for this chapter are Walter's Burial by Marc Streitenfeld and The Call by Austin Wintory.

  
"What do you mean she escaped?" Snoke seethed from his throne, scowling at Kylo's masked figure.

"She knew I was coming, she escaped before I could stop her." Kylo replied, voice muffled by his mask.

"The mighty Kylo Ren," Snoke stood and began to hobble closer to Kylo. "When I found you, I saw what all masters live to see, raw, untamed power, and beyond that, something truly special. The potential of your bloodline, a new Vader." Snoke exhaled. "Now, I fear I was mistaken." He said disappointed and disgusted.

"I've given everything I have to you, to the dark side." Kylo was defeated, not knowing what else to say to convince Snoke.

"Take that ridiculous thing off." Snoke whispered harshly, a glare imprinted on his deformed face. Reluctantly, Kylo took off his mask with a hiss, eyes refusing to meet Snoke's. "Yes, there it is, you have too much of your father's heart in you, young Solo."

"I killed Han Solo, I already told you I did not hesitate." Kylo hissed in anger.

"And look at you, the deed split your spirit to the bone. You are unbalanced, bested by a girl who had never held a lightsaber and a Grey Jedi, you failed!" Kylo abruptly stood, ready to attack Snoke, however, the powerful energy from his hands sent him skidding against the floor, his skin tingling painfully. "Skywalker lives, the seed of the Jedi order lives, as long as it does hope lives in the galaxy." Snoke slowly lowered himself down to his throne once more. "I thought you would be the one to snuff it out. Unless you are no Vader, you're just a child in a mask."

-

*"Master Luke?" Evelyn asked cautiously, stepping onto the Falcon which Luke had managed to sneak onto in the dead of night. She caught a glimpse of a hologram projecting from R2D2 but it quickly dispersed when they were made aware of her presence. "I'm sorry for interrupting, I was wondering if I could speak with you?"

Luke sighed and stood up, making his way past Evelyn and down the ramp. "Go ahead."

"My master told me that if there were anyone in the galaxy who could help me in a time of need, it would be you. I don't know what Rey has said to you about Ben, but I assure you that there is still light in him yet-"

"Well I'm sorry to tell you kid, but your master was wrong." Luke said, already climbing the steps to his hut.

"Ahsoka Tano was never wrong, Luke. She told me stories of you, of Leia, of Han." She noticed Luke's energy warp and become melancholy at the mention of his fallen friends, picking up on the past reference of Ahsoka. "She told me that I could come to you when I needed your help. I need your help, Luke. The galaxy needs your help. And whether you like it or not, Ben does too." Luke frowned, looking at the girl adorned in Grey robes, the fire casting a beautiful orange hue on her skin.

"Who are you?" He whispered, somewhat afraid of the answer.

"I am Evelyn Kenobi, and I did not come to this planet to watch the one man capable of stopping this war cower in defeat." She said with a passion behind her eyes, her force pulsing with anger and sorrow. Luke was shocked, body frozen in place as he tried to digest all that he had just heard.

"Kenobi." He mumbled to himself, the name not having spoken for some years. "I shall train the girl, but that is all I can offer." He said after a moment of silence, watching Evelyn's defeated face. "I'm sorry." He went to turn to his hut but was stopped by Evelyn's voice.

"My grandfather believed in you all those years ago, just keep that in mind." And with that, she settled down near the fire. Luke went to enter his hut, but with a sudden spurt of determination, quickly went to find Rey to inform that her training would begin on the morrow.

-

The sun awoke Evelyn from her slumber, the slow rising oranges and yellows being something that she had missed from when she lived on Jedha, only seeing the dark galactic sky day and night on The Finalizer.

Not wanting to wake up Chewie, she silently left the small camp and began to climb up the steps to the huts and aerials. She watched as the sky was painted with an array of pastel colours, a small smile found its way on her lips as she felt content. A strong pull behind her brought her out of her thought, making her slowly turn around, a silence suddenly filled the air, she could no longer hear the waves crash against the rocks or the wind whistle against the stones. Almost blurred, translucent, she could see a familiar figure sat down near one of the huts.

"Ben?" She asked in disbelief, taking a few steps closer to ensure she wasn't hallucinating. Kylo stood up, brushing the droid tending to his now sealed wound away.

"Evelyn?" Her name was a whisper on his tongue, he too not believing it was real.

"Is this some cruel trick?" She stood frozen, now being able to see him much more clearly as if he was actually stood a few feet in front of her.

"No, it's me." He said softly, taking in her appearance. Her long hair was let down from the plait she usually kept it in, cascading past her waist as it was the common Jedi tradition to not cut it. A large cut was healing on the side of her forehead, running down to her cheekbone. "You can't be doing this, the effort would kill you." He observed, cautiously taking a step closer to her. "Do you see my surroundings? I don't see yours, just...you."

"H-How is this possible?" She found a smile growing on her face as she took in every detail of a face she thought she would never see again. His scar, now healed and no longer tender, light bags under his eyes from lack of sleep and stress.

"I don't know." Kylo went to reach out to her but was interrupted by Luke who appeared out of his hut.

"What's all the noise about?" He asked, somewhat angry at being woken up. Kylo retracted his arm and stared up at where he believed his uncle was.

"Luke." He tried to shout to him, but Luke could not hear. Evelyn went to look back to Kylo but found he was gone, as if he had never been there at all.

"Nothing, I...I was just talking to myself. I am sorry." She lied, but rather convincingly as Luke nodded his head, beginning to walk down the steps and to the hill on the east side.

"Wake up your friend, her training begins today." Luke instructed, making Evelyn smile. Quickly, Evelyn ran to the hut Rey resided in, slightly intoxicated by Ben Solo, but most of all, of a new hope.

-

It had just gone midday when Chewbacca let out a low growl in recognition, making Evelyn turn her attention away from her lightsaber which she was swinging methodically with and instead turn to the old master who hastily made his way to his hut. Evelyn could sense his fear, his anxiety, his guilt. Confused, she quickly followed, slipping her saber onto her belt and gently knocked.

"Go away!" Luke's harsh voice pierced through the metal door, making Evelyn sigh.

"Master Luke," she knocked again, even more lightly than before. "Does your distress have something to do with Rey?" There was a long silence, signalling that Luke was not going to respond. "I feel it too, the call to the darkness. But I also feel the light. It has taken me years to find balance, you shouldn't blame her for giving in when she has only just begun." Another silence followed, this one much more short, followed by the scuffling of feet against stone and the metal door being scraped open. Luke looked at her sceptically, brows furrowed and eyes assessing her every move.

"What are you doing here?" He asked in a low tone, not moving from his place in the doorway. Confusion crossed her face as she spat out the answer thoughtlessly;

"I am here to return you to the resistance so you can help fight the First Order-"

"No." He shook his head lightly, looking deeper into her soul. "What are you doing here?" He emphasized 'you', making Evelyn stop and think.

"I," She trailed off, not knowing how to put her reasoning into words; she wasn't doing this for the First Order, or for the Resistance. No, this was not for any cause. "I am here because I want to save Ben Solo, and I believe you are the only person who can truly help me." Her posture seemed to straighten as she spoke with confidence, finally admitting out loud why she chose to join Rey and the Resistance.

That confidence was quickly dissolved, however, as Luke slammed the door in her face.

"Hey!" She called, her fist roughly collided with the metal, an echoing 'bang' ringing throughout the small village of huts.

"Whatever hope you have of saving him, abandon it. He is a lost cause." Anger stormed through Evelyn as Luke dismissed everything she was fighting for, a powerful energy pulsing inside her, making the metal door crash down with force as she hit it one last time. Pretending not to be shocked at her power, she marched into the hut and in front of Luke who watched in awe and fear.

"You might not believe in him, but I do. You have not seen the man I have, Luke Skywalker. Where there is hope there is light, and where there is light there is balance." She recited something her master said often, the adrenaline of making the door crash down making her breathing erratic. Shakily standing up, Luke faced Evelyn with a newfound respect, but his fear still seemed to cloud his mind, a constant loop which kept him in denial of change and hope.

"When I trained him, I sensed the overpowering darkness. It didn't scare me then, but it does now. I can see it in Rey." His eyes were wide, and within them, Evelyn could see the fear and defeat. *"I went to confront him, and he turned on me."

"Where is the Luke Skywalker who fought bravely at the Battle of Hoth? Or the Luke Skywalker who tried to save his father, even though he was one of the darkest Sith's alive? I grew up on your stories, thinking that the man my grandfather had so much faith in, would not stray from his path, nor abandon his own family." She spat with such ferocity, yet such sadness that it shook Luke to his core, making him stumble back slightly. "Please, Master Luke, you're my only hope."

And with that, she was left him alone to dwell on his own thoughts.

-

"Are you still working on getting those radio signals?" Rey asked as she walked into the Falcon, clothes dripping from the rain outside. Chewie let out a growl in response as Evelyn stood from the pilot's seat, turning to face Rey.

"Trying. There's not a lot of signal out here, our best bet would be to use one of the antenna's uphill." Rey nodded her head, sending a warm smile Evelyn's way.

"You can go if you'd like, you've been in here almost all day." Evelyn looked at Rey for reassurance, making Rey laugh lightly. "Go. I'll be fine, I know what I'm doing." Evelyn squeezed Rey's arm in thanks and jogged out into the pouring rain. She stopped to admire the energetic waves, crashing down onto the crags with force, sending a salty mist over her frame. The water dampened her skin and hair, making it stick to her forehead slightly, yet a smile found its way on her face as she breathed in the Force. But then, silence...

"You are with him." His voice said it all; hurt, betrayed, angry. "Why?"

Evelyn could just make out his frame, slightly transparent still but nonetheless, his large black-clad frame was there. A sad smile crossed her face as she shook her head, looking down as the raindrops fell from the tips of her hair.

"I have no other choice." She said sadly, feeling Kylo's confusion through the Force. She allowed the barrier in her mind to fall, feeling Kylo greedily course through her mind in search of a proper answer.

"You believe you can save me...Bring me back to the light?" He seemed to snivel at this, almost disgusted at the notion. "You are wrong, there is no light left in me-"

"Ben-"

"Don't call me that!" His voice was raised, startling Evelyn though she did not show it. "Ben Solo, is dead."

"I don't believe that." She met his gaze and looked straight through his soul, a melancholy air surrounding the two. "You may think what you will, but if coming here and getting your uncle's aid is what it takes to draw you from Snoke and the dark side, then I will do what I must." Kylo remained silent, watching her with a light anger behind his eyes. "What did you think I would do?" She asked with tears in her eyes, hurt at his feeling of betrayal. "Go back home? I have no home, Kylo. Or did you think I would simply run off to another planet as far away from the First Order as possible?" She scoffed. "You...You are the only person I have left in this galaxy." Kylo seemed to swallow harshly at this, not wanting to meet her gaze in what she presumed was shame. "I see what Snoke is doing to you, it has always been him, even when you turned on your uncle I-"

"Is that what he told you?" Kylo managed to find his voice, watching her closely. "That I turned on him?" Evelyn nodded her head, brows furrowed. Kylo scoffed slightly, head turning to look at his surroundings in the starship, sleek black metal. "And I assume you took his word for it?"

"Kylo, I don't understand what you me-" Evelyn was cut off by the sound of footsteps coming from the Falcon. Her gaze left Kylo's as it turned to Rey who was looking at Evelyn suspiciously, keeping herself sheltered in the confines of the ship.

"Who are you talking to?" She asked, noticing how Evelyn's hands trembled slightly.

"No one. I was simply admiring the view." A false smile found its way onto her face as she began to set off to the small huts. "I'll see you later, Rey." She sent a weak wave back, not bothering to turn back around, for she knew not only would Rey be unable to see him, but Kylo would be gone altogether. That didn't stop the young padawan scanning the area with her eager mind, overhearing the end of Evelyn's conversation with the very man they were trying to stop.

 


	10. Scars in Moonlight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a playlist for this work here : https://open.spotify.com/user/1194181453/playlist/0h52KzqNrG6G3jyUANDttu?si=RkKZuMuTRaKHDYKPAjyDBQ . I've put a '*' in each chapter for the songs so you know when to play them if you want to have an immersive read :)). The songs for this chapter are Skyrim: Far Horizons by the Crouch End Festival Chorus and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Resentment by Ilan Eshkeri and Solomon by Hans Zimmer.

  
*The bitter wind nipped harshly at the two Jedi, the warm fire providing an eternal warmth within. Rey knocked a rock with her foot, moving it along the soil aimlessly, a hard glare set on her face.

"What has you so worked up, Rey?" Evelyn asked over the fire, chewing happily on the Porg meat which clung to the skewer she was holding. Rey ignored her. "Rey? Is this something to do with Master Luke-"

"No." She practically growled, refusing to meet her gaze. There was a tension in the air, one that could be cut with a knife. Swallowing the last tendril of meat, Evelyn put the skewer down and sat up.

"Tell me what's wrong." Evelyn softly instructed, pulling her legs closer so that she was sat crossed legged and facing Rey.

"I don't have to tell you anything." Rey's harsh glare met Evelyn's, making her frown.

"Rey, I don't understand why- Rey!" She called as Rey abruptly got up and left, leaving Evelyn by the fire by herself. She thought about going to find her, but realised that Rey probably needed some time to cool off for whatever it was she was so angry about; but deep down, Evelyn had an inkling as to what it could be.

Sighing, Evelyn leant back against the log, staring into the tender oranger flames which flickered and hissed.

"How is it we are connected?" Kylo's voice somewhat startled Evelyn but she didn't show it, eyes glancing up and meeting his through the fire. Silence. "Are you going to ignore me?" He asked, patiently awaiting her response. He watched intently as Evelyn looked down, sadness radiating from her being. "Evelyn." Her name sounded so comforting coming from his lips, it made her want to hold him once more, but she refrained from doing so.

"I...I don't know." She replied coldly, folding her arms over her chest. She could hear Kylo sigh and shift slightly, when she looked back up he was much closer to the fire, so close that she could clearly see his scar which ran from his eyebrow to under his robe.

"You are upset." He observed, not only from her Force but from her entire demeanour. There was a brief moment of silence, a slight pause in reality.

"Brilliant observation." She mumbled sarcastically, beginning to wear thin of avoiding the subject matter, instead shuffling into a more comfortable position and saying exactly what was on her mind. "You know, on that ship, even after everything you had done, I couldn't stop myself from caring about you. I saw a vulnerability in you. A boy who was lost. A boy who needed guiding." Evelyn looked into Kylo's eyes, projecting her conflicting emotions straight into him through hyperspace. "Why didn't you kill me?" She whispered the last part, tears shining in her eyes as the tinted orange light flickered onto her skin.

"Can you not feel it? Through the Force?" His voice broke the silence which crept up once more, looking down for a moment to gather his thoughts. "It is as if it is pulling us towards each other." His voice wavered slightly with emotion, something he hoped Evelyn didn't pick up but he knew she heard it.

"I didn't ask you that. I asked why you didn't kill me?" The emphasis on 'you' made him gulp as he knew he would have to come forth and admit his feelings out loud to her, something which he had refused to do since day one.

"I..." He looked up, straight into her eyes, he could see her, waiting, watching, as if she knew what he was going to say but wanted to, no, needed to hear it come from him. "I need you." He mumbled, almost ashamed at himself. Embarrassed and afraid, he cast his gaze down, hoping that whatever Force was controlling their connection would falter. Instead, hesitantly, Evelyn reached her hand forward, feeling the warm embrace of the flames that licked her skin, but did not burn as her entire forearm reached across the fire. Kylo opened his eyes after some moments, not expecting her to be there, let alone reaching across the fire expectantly, wanting to see what would happen if they would touch.

Kylo took off his leather glove hesitantly too, moving his arm closer to her until they both were consumed in the fire. Carefully, Evelyn moved her palm closer to Kylo's until they met in the middle; the slightest touch, which sent a cloud of energy to release from their two beings as they became one. The Force seemed to bend around them, pulsing and defying the very laws of nature as the fire didn't harm them one bit. A strong tingling sensation trickled down their arms as if the energy was inside their veins. Bewildered, the two tore their gaze from their touching palms to each other's eyes, feeling lost in a bittersweet world within them.  
  
Kylo was about to open his mouth when a harsh tug sent them falling backwards, the fire extinguished by the intensity. Hazy, Evelyn sat up, trying to find Kylo in the immediate darkness but could tell it was futile; he was gone. Feeling slightly buzzed from the contact, Evelyn picked herself up off of the floor and began to walk down the trail leading to the ocean, knowing that sleep was not something that would come easily tonight.

-

"Easy, you have to focus." Evelyn instructed Rey who was beginning to sweat in the intense heat. The morning had come quicker than expected, and Rey still seemed to be holding an unknown grudge against Evelyn.

_"Come on." Evelyn shook Rey awake, making her frown and try to bury her head into the thin blanket on her bed._

_"What?" Rey grumbled, sleep clear in her voice. Evelyn simply threw Rey's boots at the bottom of her bed, opening the door to let more light in._

_"We, are going to train." She said with an enthusiastic smile, one which Rey didn't reciprocate._

_"Master Luke is supposed to train me." She said confused and frankly rather annoyed. Evelyn stopped, looking at Rey with a raised eyebrow._

_"Master Luke won't teach you_ combat _though, will he?" She asked pointedly, making Rey look down in defeat. Triumphant, Evelyn walked out the door calling out a quick 'meet me on the East side in five minutes'._

"Concentrate, Rey." Evelyn lightly reprimanded, easily dodging the blow Rey's staff dealt, instead using the stick she had found to parry. Rey grunted, getting back into the fighting stance. "Do what feels right."

Rey spun fluidly in a circle, her staff spinning with her, making Evelyn quickly duck out of the way as Rey swung for her, instead, nearly hitting the rock.

"Good. That was good." Evelyn tried to compliment but Rey didn't seem too happy. "Again." The phrase reminded her of Kylo, when he trained Evelyn himself on the Finalizer. The fond memory brought a small smile to her face, thinking of how the tables had truly turned, nearly making her miss dodging Rey's next swing. "Very good." She smirked, giving Rey a small moment to catch her breath.

Rey's eyes travelled from the floor to the small satchel placed on the rock beside them, the lightsaber sticking out of it teasingly. Noticing that Evelyn had hers too, Rey placed her staff down and reached into the bag to grab it.

"I want to train with this." She said, toying with the handle as she got into a defensive stance. Evelyn looked rather shocked but nodded her head nonetheless, grabbing her own lightsaber from her belt.

"Okay," Evelyn ignited her lightsaber at the same time as Rey, a familiar hum filling the air. *"Just try not to get too carried away-"

Rey's lightsaber slammed into Evelyn's with force, knocking her back slightly, but Evelyn quickly regained her balance and swung back, feeling Rey's anger towards Evelyn travel through her hit. Relentlessly but with such agile motion, the two began to dance a dance of combat, each move calculated, even for the young padawan. A natural rhythm formed itself as the two circled one another, all whilst sending blow after blow, parry after parry.

Luke watched from the top of the hill, entranced and intrigued by the incredible fluidity of the two women below him, ensnared and absorbed in their own world.

Rey's mind was so loud that Evelyn could hear her thoughts even through the grunts and hisses of the lightsaber. Evelyn frowned, feeling the hatred Rey had for Kylo, how Kylo killed his father, how much she saw Han as a father figure, how betrayed and hurt she felt because...

Evelyn lost her concentration, grip loosening slightly, the next hit making her stumble back. Unable to block in time and seeing Rey's hit before it happened, Evelyn instinctively ducked, Rey's lightsaber slicing through the rock that stood erect behind her, sliding off of the cliff with an unsettling crack.

Wide-eyed and out of breath, Evelyn slowly rose, standing face to face with Rey with a look of mild fear on her face at the near miss.

"You know." She whispered, looking at Rey sadly. "Rey, it's not what you think-"

"Don't." Rey replied, shaking her head and putting her lightsaber back into her bag. "I'm done with training." She replied, turning around to go back only for them both to simultaneously notice Luke Skywalker stalking back up the hill.

Evelyn remained frozen as she watched Rey quickly run after Luke, reciting all that had just happened within such a short period of time. It wasn't her intention to hurt any of them, in fact, she was trying to help by drawing Kylo from the dark. The only sound which filtered through the air was Evelyn's heavy breathing and the annoyed grumbles of the caretakers from down below.

-

Night finally came, enveloping the small planet in a blanket of darkness, the pale moon being the only source of light which cascaded against the rippling waters and harsh crags. Evelyn had just finished working on the radio signals near the top of the island, still having no luck with connecting to the resistance. Her mind drifted to Leia, wondering if leaving her and coming here was really the best option, as they had made virtually no progress with Luke whatsoever, in fact, in her mind, she was doubting whether or not him training Rey would be of any help.

The peaceful motion of the waves brought Evelyn closer to the cliff face, listening to the sweet music of the shore which whispered in the cool breeze. But then, a sudden silence. Sensing his presence, Evelyn turned around to face a shirtless Kylo. The first thing she noticed was the painful amount of bruises and scars which littered his toned chest, making her frown. Kylo could sense her worry through the Force, making his heart swell slightly inside.

*Without a word, she stepped closer until she was in front of him, slowly reaching her hand forward until it made contact with his skin. It was a strange sensation, for Kylo could feel the warmth from her fingertips tenderly caress his wounded skin, making him let out a low sigh at the comforting contact which they both had so desperately craved. With great gentleness, she traced his now healed scar, up from his chest, delicately over his collarbone and jaw, and slowly became more gentle as it reached his eye. A profound intimacy seemed to form at this moment, with no words needed to be spoken.

Her hand stopped against his cheek, her thumb gently running back and forth across his cheekbone, just touching the scar slightly. Her other hand slowly moved up his left arm, tenderly running over the sharp blaster wound before finding its way to his other cheek. Entirely at the mercy of her, he felt his breathing slow down and his body relax under her gentle touch, his eyes closing and hand reaching up to grip one holding his cheek.

Slowly, Evelyn leant upwards, face inching closer as it was as if the Force was pulling them towards each other like a magnet. At first, their lips merely skimmed each others', their breaths mingling and becoming one, until Kylo reached down and brought his hand to her waist, guiding her forward until they met in a slow and intense kiss. It wasn't like their first kiss; rushed, passionate, longing, frightened, thankful. No, this was everything they couldn't say to the other, this was the uncertainty in knowing if they would ever see each other again, this was the conflict they both felt inside one another, this was raw, untamed, unconditional...

Kylo's grip on her waist tightened slightly as they pulled away for air, only to meet once more; open-mouthed, desperate. It said _'I need you'_ it said _'I can't do this without you'_ , it said _'don't leave me again'._ Evelyn's hands ran through Kylo's raven black locks, tugging ever so slightly as his arms wrapped around her waist, pressing their bodies inevitably closer.

"Ben," His name fell from her lips unknowingly, without thinking, in a whispered moan, in a plea to _'just stay with me here, forever'_. It seemed to be lost in between their mouths, though Kylo heard it, and though he wanted to deny it, it brought that young boy he thought was gone years ago closer to the surface; except this time, it didn't scare him. "Don't go." She mumbled against his lips, clinging onto him as if her life depended on it, and without realising it, he was clinging onto her too.

Pulling back for a moment, with just enough room so they could see each other's face, Kylo brought his hand forward, brushing a long lock which had messily fallen in front of Evelyn's face behind her ear.

"I'll stay." He whispered, leaning forward until their noses touched. He knew he had no real power over how long they were connected, but it comforted them both just to hear him say it.

Even though they were thousands of light years away from each other, both laid down on the ground; for Evelyn, the tender muddy floor near the cliff face, for Kylo, the hard metallic floor of the Dreadnought. Neither took any notice of how uncomfortable the position was, they were seemingly lost in the moment, in each other.

Kylo brought her head down onto his chest, wrapping his arms protectively around her as she leant into him for warmth and comfort.

"It's not true you know? What he told you." Kylo said after a few minutes of comfortable silence. Evelyn traced the prominent lines of his collarbones, waiting for him to continue. "I didn't just turn on him. He sensed my power, and he tried to kill me." Kylo could feel Evelyn tense up slightly, anger and sadness radiating from her. Kylo couldn't tell whether or not she believed him, silence being what followed for some time until she stopped tracing intricate patterns on his chest and wrapped her arm around his middle.

"I believe you." Was all she said before she allowed herself to fall into a deep sleep, feeling protected and safe in his arms. Kylo stayed up slightly longer, simply enjoying the feeling of Evelyn actually being in his arms, even though she wasn't necessarily there. Their forces warped and twirled and surrounded them in a warm blanket beneath the night sky.

But when they awoke, they were cold, they were alone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think ! :)


	11. Leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a playlist for this work here : https://open.spotify.com/user/1194181453/playlist/0h52KzqNrG6G3jyUANDttu?si=RkKZuMuTRaKHDYKPAjyDBQ . I've put a '*' in each chapter for the songs so you know when to play them if you want to have an immersive read :)). The tracks for this chapter are The Call (again lol) by Austin Wintory, Frostfall by Jeremy Soule, From Past to Present by Jeremy Soule and Elwynn Forest by Jason Hayes.

  
*The sky was grey the following morning. The sun had been smothered by the dark clouds and the rain was travelling at a slow pace towards the small island.

Evelyn had searched for Luke all morning, wanting to confront him about his deceit and lies, but found that the elderly man was nowhere to be found.

"Have you seen Luke?" She had asked Rey, who was sat toying with her lightsaber outside the stone hut. There was still a thick tension in the air, and Rey still refused to look at her.

"No." She stated rather coldly. Knowing that was all she was going to receive, Evelyn sighed and made her way down to the falcon.

Now, she stood in the temple, overlooking the cloudy sky and dwelling on all of the events that had occurred, dwelling on how far she had strayed from her path.

"You should stop fretting all the time, Eve." A voice she knew all too well said from behind her, Kylo slowly walked up towards her until he stood next to her, staring at the harsh waves and dismal sky in front. "It will age you." He tried to jest, succeeding somewhat as Evelyn smiled and let out a puff of air through her nose, the current tension making her mood slightly dampened.

"Thanks for the advice." She threw back, smirking, and nudging him slightly, looking up to him quickly to see a small smile on his face. It was a sight she could easily get used to. "You know, it's been so long since I've had a normal conversation with someone. A conversation without talk of death or war or the Force." She said, enjoying this rare and precious moment of mundanity that she knew she would cling on to for a time when she needed it most.

"I'm afraid that's hard to come by these days." Kylo sighed, looking down at his feet. A silence ensued, not an uncomfortable silence, more of a peaceful one, despite the brewing storm ahead.

"I used to love the rain, on Jedha, that's if it ever did rain. I would stand outside until my clothes were drenched and Ahsoka would have to drag me back inside in case I caught a cold." Evelyn smiled fondly at the memory. "When I was younger, I would even cry if she told me I couldn't go out." She laughed at her past self. "Those are memories I cherish; memories dear to my heart."

Kylo stood in silence, feeling guilty for having taken away her home and the only person she had left. He shuffled slightly on the spot.

"Like this moment," she said, turning her body to face his. Kylo looked down at her, puzzled, but turned to face her nonetheless. "this simple moment, where I feel like the world is not resting on my shoulders and I am not completely alone." The rain was travelling closer now, the dark, ominous clouds casting a heavy shadow over the island.

Kylo reached a hand to her face, cupping it softly, the warmth from her body sending comforting tingles down his entire arm which steadily dispersed around the rest of his body as if it were mingled with his blood. "You're never completely alone." He whispered, bringing his forehead down until it met hers, both of them closing their eyes as the Force shook steadily and a soft heat emitted from both of their energies, surrounding them.

A loud gasp and the muttering of Kylo's true name brought them out of their trance, both snapping their heads towards Luke who stood, shocked, frightened and angry at the sight before him.

"Luke." Evelyn breathed out in fear, as he glared intensely at the two. "Luke, please-" The warmth from beside her vanished as the force bond between them expanded and then snapped, leaving her alone in the room with Luke. "Listen to me."

"I want you off of this island." He growled, staring at her with all of the hate and malice he could muster. "You traitor!" His words echoed off of the walls of the temple, piercing through Evelyn like a knife.

"Traitor? How dare you call me a traitor, Luke Skywalker." She bit back, venom and anger in her voice as she neared him threateningly. "Kylo told me what really happened that night, that you sensed his power, and that you tried to kill him!" She pointed a finger accusingly at him, following him around the room as he slowly walked away from her.

"You will believe him? The boy who is governing the very force that is slaughtering innocents, murdering your kind just so-"

"He was your nephew, he believed in you!" Evelyn shouted, tears in her eyes as she could almost feel what Kylo felt that night. "He believed in you, and you tried to kill him." She managed to get out, noticing how Luke's face fell for a moment.

"Get off of this island, and stay away from me." He concluded, regaining his original posture and leaving her in the temple alone...and the rain began to fall.

-

*Tears threatened to spill from Evelyn's eyes as she raced down the small hill with haste. Her thoughts were all over the place, balance askew and uncontrollable. Her chest tightened, making it feel as if she couldn't breathe, an immense pressure building up within. As she picked up speed, she tumbled over her own feet, stumbling down the incline before landing with a harsh thud on the soft mud.

Finally, she allowed the tears to fall freely, an avalanche of wet slipping down her cheeks as she let out a gentle sob, body shaking as she tried to control her emotions. The wind seemed to comfortingly embrace her, causing her long hair to gently sweep past her face and into the stream of air.

"What is wrong, my child?" A soft voice asked, making Evelyn quickly look up to find its source. A soft blue light emitted from a figure making its way towards her, making her frown in confusion.

"W-Who is there?" She cautiously asked though a familiar sensation seemed to overwhelm her.

"I think you know who I am, Evelyn." The figure was closer now, so close that she could make out the kind face of an old man, who looked surprisingly like her mother.

"Grandfather?" She gasped, clumsily standing up to face the man who she knew very little about, but admired all the same. "Is it truly you?" Obi-Wan laughed lightly, nodding his head whilst looking into her tearful eyes.

"Why do you cry, child?" He asked, his voice soft and comforting, like a meadow of flowers on a warm summers day, warmth from a fire whilst the cold remained outside, something she felt herself drawn to and wanting to hear more of.

"I have strayed from the path of the Force, Grandfather. All I wanted to do was help but I fear I have lost my way and have no teacher to guide me." She admitted, choking on her words, finally accepting her failure. She closed her eyes, waiting for some form of reprimanding, punishment, anything, but instead she felts a warm energy on her face, wiping away the tear which fell down her cheek.

"You have not lost your way." He simply said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Grandfather, I can no longer find balance in this world, I stray to and from the light, and fear I have..." Evelyn gulped, shaking her head to snap herself out of her own thoughts. "I care for a man who only sees the dark."

"Evelyn," Obi-Wan began, perching on one of the large rocks embellished into the ground. "It is time you realise that there is no true path you must follow, you are not a Grey Jedi, or a Sith, nor are you a Jedi; you are you. You create your own path, my child." He patted the space next to him, to which Evelyn carefully lowered herself down onto.

"But, my training? All of those years with Ahsoka Tano?" She asked in disbelief, not fully comprehending what he meant.

"Balance, my child, is something that keeps all forces at bay in this world. You are lucky enough to find such balance, even now, even after everything that is happening, I still feel it within you." Kenobi gently rested his hand on top of Evelyn's, a relaxing heat absorbing into her skin. "Now, you must decide what to do with that balance."

"I don't think I understand what it is you are saying." She said, watching her grandfather in anticipation. Obi-Wan sighed and removed his hand.

"Walk with me?" He asked, beginning to walk down a small sloped trail. Evelyn obediently followed, catching up and walking in line with him. "The Force is a very special gift, Evelyn, what we choose to do with this gift is entirely up to us. You chose balance all those years ago when your parents died and you found Ahsoka Tano, an honourable duty. But, you still do not seem to understand that it is you who chooses what you do. You make your own path." Kenobi's words resonated within Evelyn, almost as if her eyes were finally opening. She had always believed that there was no choice but to follow one strict path; either light, dark or in between.

"I...I do not have to follow the path of the Grey Jedi?" She asked, almost timidly. Obi-Wan smiled and let out a short chuckle.

"No, my dear child. All these years, you have been so loyal to your religion, yet what has happened? You have lost almost everything."

"Almost..." Evelyn mumbled to herself, but Kenobi heard, making him smile to himself warmly.

*"You will come to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view. The truth, Evelyn, is often what we make of it; you heard what you wanted to hear, believed what you wanted to believe, but now you must break free from this way of thinking, from believing that you must follow a set path. It is the same for Luke Skywalker, though something tells me it will be much harder for him to do so now. Ben Solo needs you to help him find his own path, dear one." Kenobi rested a hand against his grandaughters shoulder, slowing his pace as she now walked slightly ahead.

"Everything I stood for, everything you stood for, Ahsoka...I can abandon it?" She asked for reassurance, casting a glance behind her to see her grandfather give her a look which didn't need any words to explain. Nodding her head, she turned back around, stopping at the bottom of the trail which led to a small cliff. "I will not disappoint you, Grandfather." Evelyn could feel a warm breeze brush over her, and the heat from the energy leave her shoulder. Looking back, she found that Obi-Wan Kenobi was gone, but a warm smile settled on her face.

Glistening in the moonlight, a sharp, jagged stone caught her eye, protruding out of the ground as if to test if she would take it. Daringly, she reached down and pulled it out with little effort, brushing the small clumps of dirt which clung to it away.

Her long hair blew in the slight breeze, hair that she had never cut ever since she chose to become a Grey Jedi. Slowly, her fingers on her left hand ran through the long, curled locks, basking in its length and silkiness, before gripping it and moving it forward, her right hand holding the rock moving thoughtlessly towards it. In one quick, sharp movement, the rock sliced through the thick tresses, fingers feeling each individual strand of hair slip between them before falling on to the floor. The rock fell to the floor with a muffled thud as Evelyn ran her hands through her shortened hair, merely reaching the bottom of her neck. The soft wind returned, drifting along the grassy floor, picking up the mass of hair and blowing it off of the cliff face, floating down to the ocean below.

Evelyn peered over the edge, watching as it disappeared into the crashing waves, completely consumed and erased by the natural lapping of the salty water. It was a common Jedi tradition to let the hair grow to its own device, especially if you were not ordained a Knight; yet by cutting the very roots of a tradition which Evelyn built herself upon and followed by her birthright, she could feel the freedom which now manifested itself as a light breeze on her neck.

-

Rey awoke with a frown as the sun shone down into the hut through the small gap in the rocks. She quickly dressed and put her shoes on and walked out into the humid air, noticing that a few feet in front of her, Evelyn was packing a small bag with food and waterskins filled with milk.

"What are you doing?" She asked in curiosity and slight fear; as much as she would have liked to deny it, she liked Evelyn and was afraid of the reason as to why she was packing her bag. "And what did you do to your hair?"

"I'm leaving." She replied bluntly, not in the mood to be ignored once again.

"L-leaving? You can't leave, we haven't finished our mission, Master Luke-" Evelyn put the bag down and sighed, turning to face Rey.

"Our mission has failed, Rey. He's not coming back with us, you are going to have to lead the rebellion by yourself because he doesn't want to accept responsibility for what he has done." She pointed up to the hill as she spoke of Luke, trying to keep her anger at bay. "He has asked me to leave." She spoke quieter, turning back to her bag and placing the last few supplies in the air.

"I don't understand what you mean, responsibility for what?" Rey walked closer now, standing in front of Evelyn.

"Ask him. Truth, Rey, depends entirely on our point of view." She echoed her grandfather's words, making Rey frown in confusion. "You both may hate me for trying to save him, you both may think that I am just as bad as he, but I know that what I am doing is right. Whether you like it or not, Ben Solo is still in there, and I intend to bring him back to his home; away from the dark." Rey swallowed the saliva building up in her throat and looked down in shame.

"I...I am sorry for the way I have treated you." Rey said, guilt radiating from her. Evelyn looked up, calculating whether or not she was being sincere. After a few moments, she stepped forward, and brought Rey into her arms, hugging her tightly.

"We may meet again, Rey, I am sure of it. For now, you should stay here and train." She pulled away and smiled, patting Rey's shoulder and giving it an affectionate squeeze.

"But where will you go?" Rey asked, following Evelyn as she began to walk down the hill with her satchel across her chest and shoulder.

"To Ben." She stated plainly, making Rey's eyes widen.

"You are going to the dreadnought? Evelyn, it is suicide!" Rey exclaimed, coming up beside her now.

"I know what I am doing. If you are to have any shot at defeating the First Order then I must-"

"There it is again." Rey stopped in her tracks, causing Evelyn to do the same and turn to face her.

"There is what again?" She asked confused. Rey looked down, tears in her eyes.

"'You'. 'You' must lead the rebellion, 'you' must defeat the First Order. Are you not apart of this rebellion too?" Rey asked, almost hurt. Evelyn sighed and looked out at the hills, almost feeling her grandfather's energy beside her.

"I want to help you, Rey. I do. It is why I came to this island. But you must understand, that I need to save Ben, that is my first priority. Maybe...Maybe if I save him, the First Order will fail, collapse. Maybe..." Evelyn's voice trailed off as she pondered. "I have made my own path, Rey. It is time that I follow it." She turned back to go down the hill once more.

"How will I find you?" Rey asked, thoroughly defeated. Evelyn turned to her and smiled.

"You don't need to find me, Rey. I'll never be too far. When you return to Leia tell her of my mission, tell her of what has happened on this island." She walked to Rey again and gripped her hands. "Tell her that I will bring her son back." Evelyn's eyes drifted from Rey's to the top of the hill, and the smile on her face vanished. *"Luke." She whispered, stepping back from Rey as he watched silently.

"Rey, I think it would be best if you returned to the Falcon. I will see you in due time." She said almost distracted as she watched his observing figure. "Farewell." She turned her attention back to her and gave her a short smile, squeezing her shoulder once more. "And remember what I told you about truth."

Rey turned around and saw Luke, understanding the tension and situation. She nodded, sending Eve one last pointed look before turning and walking back up the hill.

Evelyn turned and faced the inlet, sensing that Luke was here for a reason and waited. He came down a few minutes after Rey had left, and stood a few feet behind her, still watching her curiously.

"If you have come to ensure my leave, I assure you, I do not want to stay on this island any longer than what you want me to." Evelyn said, breaking the silence but refusing to turn to look at him.

"That's not true."He simply stated, making Evelyn frown and partially turn to face him.

"I-I'm sorry?" She asked baffled. Luke edged nearer to the precipice so that he was next to her, but still a few feet away.

"Something draws you to this place, and that something has changed you." He did a double-take at her confused face. "Your hair." He stated the obvious, motioning to it with his hands. "You cut your hair off. You wouldn't do that unless you abandoned your beliefs."

"I haven't abandoned them." She said with light defence. "I am making my own path, Luke Skywalker. Something my grandfather advised me to do." She watched from the corner of her eye as Luke tensed slightly. "You wanted me gone, so I am going. But I must ask you this one favour before I do leave. If you have any compassion, if you have anything left of the man that helped save our galaxy years ago, you will tell her the truth, and you will train her to be what you wanted Ben to be."

Luke was quiet, he didn't know how to respond, and frankly, he knew how in the wrong he was, but it would seem both him and Rey found it easier to blame the one person in the galaxy who was trying to help for the mistakes of another.

"If there's one thing I've learnt from being here, it's that we all are not who we think we are, Luke Skywalker." She looked him in the eye as she said this, her words being more powerful than any action. He didn't know who she meant; just him, or her, Rey? Or maybe Kylo? And then, he felt it, within her energy, her force; she meant all of them.

"How do you plan on leaving?" He asked after a few moments of silence. Evelyn smiled to herself and peered over the precipice.

"I have an idea." She moved her hands out in front of her and squeezed, a low churning sound echoed from the inlet below, muffled by the pressure of the water. Luke frowned, confused, but watched intensely as she moved her hands slowly upwards, the churning getting louder and closer to them now. Her hands were pointed past her head when the old X-Wing Starfighter floated up from the sea, salty water cascading down the wings and back into the sea. Luke watched in awe, stepping back as Evelyn moved it onto the bed of grass, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

It landed with a soft thud on the grass, some of the outer shell falling off and onto the floor from years of marinating in the water. "H-How did you know that was there?" Luke asked, looking at Evelyn who stood with an accomplished look on her face.

"I've explored nearly every inch of this island, Luke, it didn't take me long to find it." She watched as his eyes glossed over the piece of his past that he could not get rid of. "If you do not wish me to take this I will find another means of getting off of this island."

"No. No, I have no use for it anymore." He spoke as if he were in a trance, slowly making his way over to the ship and running his hands over the metal. The paint had flaked away and clumps of seaweed stuck to the side, trapped in between the panels. "Y-You, you are going to him?" He asked, looking at her as she came to stand next to him. She nodded. Luke looked down, understanding. "I'm sorry I couldn't be what you wanted me to be." He said after a few minutes of silence, taking the time to will himself to speak.

"I don't think I'm the person you should be apologizing to." She said, looking at him with disappointment. "He's still in there, Luke. The boy who you thought you lost. And I am going to find him."

Luke looked at her for a few moments, noticing the determination on her face as she ran her hand across the rusted metal. She reminded him of his master.

"It is time you left." He said, falling back into his denial. "We will not meet again." He said simply, looking at his ship and her one last time before hurrying up the hill.

"Master Luke!" She shouted up at him, just before he was at the top. "Do not forget who you were, not now." And with that, she clambered into the X-Wing and started the engine after a few attempts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the small hiatus - Please feel free to leave a comment, it is highly appreciated, and kudos if you enjoyed! <3


	12. Chandrila.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a playlist for this work here : https://open.spotify.com/user/1194181453/playlist/0h52KzqNrG6G3jyUANDttu?si=RkKZuMuTRaKHDYKPAjyDBQ . I've put a '*' in each chapter for the songs so you know when to play them if you want to have an immersive read :)). The tracks for this chapter are Kaer Morhen by Marcin Przybytowicz and The Healing by Bear McCeary.

  
*Evelyn sighed into her drink, putting the fourth cup down. The small bar in the Junari Point settlement lacked popularity, only a few species sat in the odd corner of the room, some sat solemnly at the bar or tapping their foot to the light music that flowed throughout the building.

"Rough couple o' days?" A voice asked gently, making Evelyn look up from the bottom of her glass. A Bimm, she identified, two chairs from her, no taller than a meter with soft brown eyes and a thick, luscious beard.

"You could say that." Evelyn poured the rest of her drink into her mouth, the liquid making the back of her throat sting slightly. "Evelyn, and you are?"

"Bramdin of Bimmisaari, pleasure to meet you." He chirped, making Evelyn smile at him warmly.

"Pleasure to meet you too, Bramdin. You seem particularly happy to be drinking at a bar?" She teased slightly, enjoying the lightness of the conversation and the jolly atmosphere of the Bimm.

"Aye, not everyone has to be unhappy to be drinkin', miss." Bramdin shot back, lips turning into a wide smile to reveal a large gap in between his two front teeth. Evelyn laughed, a strange feeling it would seem due to current events. "What brings you to this side of Chandrila?" He questioned, twisting his body around to face the young woman.

"I'm just refuelling, and...I've always wanted to visit this planet, my mother told me about it when I was young." She said thinking fondly of the times with her mother without revealing too much about herself.

"I'm guessin' she's gone?" Bramdin asked carefully, watching out of the corner of his eyes. Evelyn smiled sadly and looked over to the small Bimm.

"Yeah, she's gone." There was a stagnant pause in the conversation, the sounds of glass clinking and muffled voices seemed to regain dominance in sound. "What about you? I wouldn't expect to see a Bimm this far from their home." She asked, intrigued. Bramdin sighed, looking down at his feet which dangled comically off of the stool, miles from the floor.

"No, you wouldn't. We Bimm don't like to stray too far. But..." He debated his next words, finalizing his decision after downing his drink. "There's just nothing left back home for me now." Emily nodded, seemingly understanding.

"I know how you feel." Evelyn sighed once more, swirling the ice cubes in her drink. "You seem like a good man, Bramdin, I'm sure there is something out there for you." She shot the man a hopeful smile, Bramdin blushed bashfully, looking down at his tatty shoes for the second time. There was a brief stagnation in the conversation, and looking down at the four empty cups, Evelyn knew she would have to leave soon. "It was nice talking to you, Bram." Evelyn pushed her glass away and went to stand, but Bramdin reached out a hand to her and placed it on her shoulder.

"Evelyn...May the force be with you." He nodded, sending a knowing look her way before turning back around to his drink. Evelyn paused for a moment, not moving, before walking out of the dingy bar, sending one last look to Bramdin before the door closed. Ahsoka had mentioned the Bimm in one of her lessons of the Jedi, they were force users, but Evelyn had not met another force wielder for a long time; save for Rey, Luke and Kylo.

-

*The sun slipped down the sky, steadily disappearing behind the skyline, leaving a blend of gorgeous lilacs, pinks, and a deepening blue in the night sky. Chandrila was by far one of the most beautiful places Evelyn had ever seen.

"You cut your hair." A voice said from behind Evelyn as she tended to her ship, making her jump and reach for her lightsaber. As she swivelled around, ready to ignite she immediately relaxed when she realized it was just Kylo.

"You scared me." She breathed, sheathing her lightsaber. Kylo walked closer to her, reaching his hand up and running it through her newly shortened locks. Evelyn simply watched his fingers slip past each lock, moving to meet his gaze after he finally moved his hand down to rest on her neck.

"You look...beautiful." He said after a moment of debating the right word, almost as if he was unaccustomed to giving compliments which, in actuality, he was. Evelyn looked down to her feet, feeling a small rouge blossom on her cheeks. "Why did you cut it?" He asked, playing with the hair at the nape of her neck.

"I...I decided to finally make my own path." She spoke quietly, looking up to meet his gaze. Kylo watched her with interest, simply scanning his eyes across her face, intrigued.

"I feel something within you, a change in the Force. It is...strong." He paused, feeling a light sea breeze brush over his body. "Where are you? You are not with Luke Skywalker, I can no longer sense him."

"I'm on Chandrila." She said, not knowing how he would react due to its difficult past with the Empire. Kylo's eyebrows furrowed for a split second, his hand moving from her neck and his posture straightening. "I-Is there something wrong?" She asked cautiously, peering at him as he turned to face what she saw as the ocean of Chandrila, but for Kylo was simply a metal wall.

Kylo didn't respond for a few minutes, peering off into the distance. "Chandrila," He tested the name on his tongue. "Is where I was born." He stated. Evelyn had no idea of course, but the new information seemed to stir something within her. She seemed almost more attached to the place she had only heard of through stories.

"Oh," Was her immediate reply, not really knowing what to say. "Ben, I didn't know." He tensed at the mention of his past name but didn't object.

"Why are you there?" He asked, turning his head to her, suspicion in his voice. Evelyn looked down and leant against the side of the X-Wing. "Evelyn, why are you on Chandrila?"

"I came here to refuel, I'm...I'm going on a mission." She said, undecided as to whether she wanted to inform Kylo that she was actually returning to the very place where her head held a bounty higher than the tallest skyscraper on Coruscant.

"A mission?" He asked sceptical, throwing her an unbelieving look. "Do you really think I believe you?" He watched as she looked out to the ocean, though of course, that is what he had guessed as the light breeze blew on him once again.

"Luke Skywalker banished me from his island. My attempts at gaining his aid were futile. I face this alone now." She said sadly, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Face what?" Evelyn looked up to him, eyes piercing straight through him, telling him all he needed to know. "I see." He looked away, not wanting to look into her eyes any longer, feeling the pressure of her Force pulsing around them. "You still think you can save me." He mumbled more to himself than her.

"I know what I am doing, Ben."

"Please-Don't...Don't call me that." He was on the verge of breaking, Evelyn could see that, she could feel it. The temptation to give into the light was stronger than ever as she made her way over to him and gracefully caressed his cheek.

"Ben, you don't have to fight it anymore, you don't have to fight me anymore." She stressed in such a gentle voice that Kylo closed his eyes and simply listened, not finding the power to object. "I know what he is doing to you, but it doesn't have to be this way.

...It doesn't have to be this way." Kylo's eyes snapped open, noticing that Evelyn was no longer in front of him, her warmth completely gone from his cheek. Nothing but the cold metallic walls faced him now.

Letting out a harsh yell he picked up his bedside table and threw it across the room, hearing it crash with a loud bang against the wall. He screamed with anger and hate, knowing deep down who it was directed at but feared he could be listening inside his head. His voice broke slightly as tears streamed down his face. Ben Solo sank onto the floor, and sobbed.


	13. Free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a playlist for this work here : https://open.spotify.com/user/1194181453/playlist/0h52KzqNrG6G3jyUANDttu?si=RkKZuMuTRaKHDYKPAjyDBQ . I've put a '*' in each chapter for the songs so you know when to play them if you want to have an immersive read :)). The songs for this chapter Father and Son - Markus by John Paesano, Testing Allegiance by John Powell, "Chrome Dome" by John Williams and Even for You by Alan Silvestri

  
The X-Wing rattled ferociously, engines burning up every second it travelled in hyperspace, Evelyn did not have much time. The coordinates were set, but the likelihood that she could even make it to the dreadnought alive was looking slim as the X-Wing struggled to stay on course after years of stagnation.

"Don't give up on me now." She mumbled to herself, struggling to hold the centre stick as it lurched from left to right. Finally, after a burst of bright light, Evelyn could see the dreadnought in front of her, a large grey mass that floated menacingly amongst the stars; the sight made her sick. Moving one hand off of the joystick, she carefully sent out a signal to the base - _Non-hostile craft. Evelyn Kenobi. Do not attack._ Her hands shook slightly as she remained on her course, noticing the two TIE fighter jets at her tail.

"Commander, there seems to be a craft entering the borders, what should we do?" One of the soldiers manning the control centre asked Kylo, who watched from the large window as the X-Wing grew closer. "It is supposedly Evelyn Kenobi. I do believe that she is turning herself in." Kylo clenched his fist at this, angry at the woman for putting herself into direct danger, and all for what? An attempt to save him?

"Let her land." He stated, trying to keep his stoic facade up as he began to march down to the docking area.

"Commander, should we not bring this wanted criminal to the Supreme Leader?" Hux asked with a smug grin on his face, enjoying the sight of Kylo freeze and clench his fists once more. "The bounty on her head is immense, we cannot simply let her be thrown into a jail, can we?" Hux knew of Kylo's feelings towards the young Kenobi, at least, that is what he had gathered from when she was present on the Starkiller.

Kylo simply nodded his head stiffly, not bothering to turn back around and face him.

The X-Wing was battered, a dark smoke emitting from both the front and back. Multiple stormtroopers neared, their blasters pointed at the jet just in case. The glass was dirtied, not only that, but the inside of the jet was filled with smoke, making it impossible for Kylo to see who was inside; for all he knew, this could be some sort of trap from the rebellion. His suspicion was eradicated instantly, however, as the X-Wing door slowly lifted up, the hand attempting to pry it open struggling at the stiffness, and finally, with an uncomfortable screech, his eyes settled on the one woman who had not left his mind.

Both didn't move for a moment, simply taking in the sight of the other; almost as if an eternity had passed since they had, but both didn't say a word, knowing full well that whatever they shared could compromise everything. Kylo snapped himself out of his daze, simply turning away from the jet and beginning to walk down to the elevator. One of the stormtroopers closest to the ship pulled out a set of handcuffs, the other roughly pulling Evelyn out of the jet and yanked her hands out so the handcuffs could be secured, plucking the lightsaber from her belt as she was cuffed. The tightness made her wince slightly, eyes piercing into the helmets of the two who gripped her forearms and dragged her to where Kylo had just walked off to. Doubt began to creep into her mind as the realization of just what was about to happen dawned on her. Stay strong, she could almost hear her master say to her, soothing her nerves even as they reached the elevator.

"I will take her to the Supreme Leader by myself, you are no longer needed." Kylo dismissed the two stormtroopers, who nodded their heads in compliance and shoved Evelyn inside, passing Ren Evelyn's lightsaber which they had confiscated. Evelyn glared as the two walked away, regaining her posture as she faced the doors like Kylo. It was only when the doors slowly shut that they moved.

*"What are you doing here?" Kylo seethed, gripping the upper part of her arms tightly, looking into her eyes with rage. "Are you asking to get yourself killed?"

"I know what I am doing, Ben." She said with just as much authority, though the doubt still resided within her.

"No you don't, you stupid, stupid girl." His voice broke slightly, his grip loosening and his gaze falling to the floor.

"Ben," She whispered, using her cuffed hands to lift his chin up, tears forming in her eyes as she took in the sight of him, finally being able to touch him without it being through the Force. "You have to trust me, please."

Ben seemed to give in to himself, to her, for a moment. "I cannot protect you in there." He mumbled, leaning down to rest his forehead on hers. "Not against him."

Evelyn weakly smiled, running her finger along his bottom lip. "I do not want you to protect me, Ben, that is not what I am here for. I want you to protect yourself. I know that somewhere within you, there is a part of you that can break free from him, break free from all of this."

"But I don't have to break free, we could rule the galaxy together." Evelyn sighed, shaking her head and letting her hands fall down.

"That isn't what I want, Ben. I came here to bring you home, I came here to save you." She said, looking at him with disappointment and taking a few steps away from him as the elevator jerked slightly, signalling that they had arrived. Kylo looked broken slightly, already craving her touch again, tears in his eyes that he refused to let fall. He sent a silent plea to her, for something, anything that would mean she wasn't serious, because now as the doors slid open and Snoke sat at the end of the room, Kylo was powerless.

The two turned simultaneously, pulled out of their own reality and back to the present, a reality that neither of them wanted to be in. Evelyn swallowed the saliva building up in her throat as she nervously looked up at Kylo, expecting him to do something. Kylo understood, and reluctantly gripped her elbow, leading her closer towards Snoke who sat on his throne, watching her like a bird watches its prey.

"Well done, my good and faithful apprentice! My faith in you is restored." Snoke praised, slight mockery in his tone. Kylo knelt before him, Eve a few feet in front. Her eyes didn't leave his deformed face, skin like battered leather, scorched by a hot fire. "Grey Jedi," A putrid fake smile rested on his face, showing his yellow, crooked teeth. "welcome back."

Evelyn remained composed, to her surprise, managing to stay calm as she looked the Supreme Leader up and down, assessing him. Snoke noticed her prying eyes and growled under his breath.

*"It is very peculiar, that someone like you, with one of the highest bounty's in the galaxy, would voluntarily return to the place she was most wanted." Snoke let out a gargled chuckle, leaning forward in his chair slightly. The cuffs around Evelyn's hands beeped before falling to the floor with a clank. "Come closer, child." Evelyn stood her ground. "So much strength, darkness rises, and light to meet it." Evelyn watched Snoke's hands as they joined together, that vile smile returning to his face. "I warned my young apprentice that as he grew stronger, his equal in the light would rise. I once believed that that was the scavenger girl, but I was mistaken, for it was you all along." Evelyn's lightsaber flew past her and straight into Snoke's hands. "Skywalker," He chuckled. "I assumed wrongly too."

Kylo watched in trepidation as Snoke's face darkened, feeling completely powerless as Snoke used the Force to drag Evelyn closer to him. "You have underestimated me since the moment I left Jedha. I frighten you, Snoke, there is no use denying it, but it is not only me you should fear." Her point was directed at Kylo, who stiffened at the brashness of her tone.

"Have you seen something, a weakness in my apprentice? Is that why you came?" Snoke exhaled strongly appearing to be panicked for a moment, before a twisted smile stretched his lips and a sickening chuckle left his throat. "Young fool, it was I who bridged your minds." Evelyn and Kylo both froze for a moment, Kylo looking up to Snoke in disbelief. "I stoked Ren's conflicted soul, I knew he was not strong enough to hide it from you, and you were not wise enough to resist the bait." Snoke wheezed as he noticed the panic begin to set into Evelyn's face, a cold sweat forming on her forehead. "And now, Kenobi," he brought her closer, deformed hand brushing her short hair back behind her ear. "you will give me Skywalker, then I will kill you with a coarse stroke."

"No." Evelyn spat, looking into his eyes with one last burst of defiance, forbidding herself from giving up now.

"Yes." Snoke growled, lifting Evelyn up into the air and to the centre of the room. "Give me everything." Kylo watched helplessly as Evelyn fought back the screams as Snoke delved into her mind. "You have defied me long enough, Kenobi. Give up, you have lost." Evelyn let out a violent shout in agony as he finally penetrated through her mind, and dropped her mercilessly to the floor with an evil wheeze. "I did not expect Skywalker to be so wise. We will give him and the Jedi Order the death he desires. After the rebels are gone, we will go to his planet and obliterate the entire island."

Evelyn shook with anger, standing with haste and brought her arm out, pulling her lightsaber towards her. Snoke intercepted with a stronger force, making it fly back towards him. "Such spunk, just like your grandfather, look here now." Snoke moved Evelyn across the room and to the magnifier, giving her a view of the rebel fleet, under attack from the First Order. Evelyn watched in despair as ship after ship exploded into flames. "The entire resistance on those transports, soon they will all be gone. For you, all is lost." Evelyn glowered at Snoke, pure hatred and malice. Within seconds, Kylo's lightsaber was in her hands, ignited, her posture one of defence. "And still that fiery spit of hope. You have the spirit of a true Jedi!"

Evelyn let out a yell of anger, feeling the Force course violently through her veins as she charged at Snoke in vain, easily deflected by the Supreme Leader and sent flying across the room; the lightsaber landing at Kylo's feet, almost daring him to pick it up. Kylo looked at Snoke with that same hatred, feeling the conflict within him evermore powerful as Eve groaned in pain.

"And because of that, you must die." Snoke lifted Evelyn up, moving her closer to Kylo, the look of helplessness in her eyes making him want to reach out and hold her, protect her, but he refrained from doing so. "My worthy apprentice, son of darkness, heir apparent to Lord Vader, where there was conflict I now since resolve, where there was weakness, strength. You have made this mistake once before, Ren, now complete your training, and complete your destiny."

Kylo picked the lightsaber up, walking slightly closer to Evelyn, looking down at her in sadness. "I know what I have to do."

"Ben." She whispered in disbelief. For a moment, all Evelyn felt was fear, but as she looked deeper into his eyes, she felt nothing but trust. Her words she said to him earlier resonating within her, _you have to trust me_. She nodded her head once, not noticeable to anyone but Kylo, feeling her body relax.

Snoke laughed. "You think you can turn him, after all this time, have you learned nothing? Pathetic child." He mocked, anger slowly brewing within him. "I cannot be betrayed, I cannot be beaten, I see his mind, I see his every intent. Yes, I see him turning the lightsaber to strike true, and now, foolish child, he ignites it, and strikes his true enemy!" Evelyn fell to the floor as the lightsaber pierced through Snoke's abdomen, she quickly turned to see his pained face.* Kylo pulled the lightsaber towards her, her hand shooting up and gripping the cool metal. She stood, facing him, wanting nothing more but to run into his grasp, but withheld as the Knights of Ren began to surround them. Kylo ignited his own, a red light illuminating his scarred face. The two nodded to each other, understanding what they now must do.

Together, back to back, they fought the onslaught of Knights, the only sound filling the room being the harsh grunts of battle and the sound of saber against saber. Evelyn smirked slightly as two of the Knights cornered her. "I guess his training really did come in handy." She said to herself before swinging her lightsaber against the closest Knight, slicing him virtually in half before spinning around and blocking the other Knight's hit. The sound of Kylo letting out a pained shout took her attention away for a split second, seeing him facing three of the Knights, a fresh cut on his upper forearm. Within that split second, the Knight before her parried her hit, easily swooping under her saber before slicing her back in one sharp swipe.

She yelled in pain, the adrenaline of the battle slowly easing it as she swung ferociously at the Knight, kicking his legs out from under him and plunging the saber into his chest. The room around them had begun to collapse, fire falling freely and onto the marble floor. Evelyn rolled forward, slicing the Knight on Kylo's right side in the ankles, making him collapse on to the floor. She swung again, cutting through his chest. In her passion, she was knocked to the floor unprepared as the other Knight swung his knives dangerously close to her neck. She crawled back hastily, jumping to her feet when she was a good distance away. Her stomach lurched when she saw her lightsaber behind him, lying on the floor, and Kylo held in a choke hold, the blade close to his neck as he struggled.

Quickly evaluating her options, Evelyn used the Force to pull the lightsaber towards her, twirling around just in time to block the Knight's hit. The Knight managed to grip her arm, holding her in place, drawing her head closer to the blade in his hand. Evelyn struggled for a moment before looking down, dropping her lightsaber and manoeuvring out of his grip, catching it just before it hit the ground and slicing his legs, then his neck. Her attention was brought back to Kylo who still struggled, and in a quick fit of panic, she threw her lightsaber towards him, allowing him to ignite it, penetrating the Knights skull.

*There was a brief moment of silence, of stillness, before the two rushed towards each other, their bodies meeting half way in a passionate embrace. Ben held onto her tightly, taking in her scent which he had missed so much, now slightly obscured by the smell of smoke. Evelyn looked up, cupping his cheek and smiling, letting out a breath of relief. Ben leant his head down, their lips brushing each other's before they both eagerly closed the gap. Their mouths moved against one another in unison, like a pattern they had already rehearsed. Evelyn's hand wove itself into Ben's hair, running her fingers through it gently, one of his hands doing the same to hers, the other cautiously running along her back, minding the large cut there. After some moments, Evelyn pulled away, removing her hand from his cheek and hair.

"The fleet, Ben, we must save the fleet before it is too late!" She said, finally catching up with reality it would seem, and running over to the window to see the now small number of ships still being targeted. She turned back around, distressed, only to see Kylo looking at the throne of his past master, now split in half. "Ben?" She asked tentatively, noticing how his breathing was becoming harsh and uneven, and slowly began walking to him.

"It's time to let old things die." Evelyn frowned at his words, stopping in her place as she waited for him to elaborate. "Snoke, Skywalker, the Sith, the Jedi, the rebels, let it all die." He listed as he walked closer to her. "Evelyn, I want you to join me. We can rule together and bring a new order to the galaxy."

Evelyn felt her throat tighten, her worst fear coming true it would seem. Even after Snoke being killed, he still held on to the dark. "Ben, please. Don't do this, not now, not after everything." Tears formed in her eyes, her hand weakly moving towards him.

"No, no you're still holding on! Let go!" He shouted, making her withdraw her hand as if she had been burned. Regret flooded his face, but he persisted. "Evelyn, we are free. We do not have to hide anymore-"

"We are free, Ben! You said it yourself. Free to walk away from this, walk away and never turn back." She tried to persuade him, taking the final step towards him and gripping his gloved hands.

"I can give you the galaxy, Evelyn. Everything you have ever wanted." Kylo spoke softly, reaching a hand up and wiping her tears away.

"But I don't want the galaxy, I just want you." She whispered, trying to understand him and his foolish choice, looking into his beautiful brown eyes pleadingly, waiting for a reply, anything that would convince her that he has changed. After a few moments of silence, realization dawned upon her. "After everything, you still choose power over me." She said sadly, stepping away from him, the loss of contact painful for them both. Kylo looked distressed, reaching his hand out for her, but Evelyn simply stepped further away.

"Eve, please, think of what we could do together." He almost begged, tears in his own eyes now.  
  
"Think of what we could do away from this! Away from the dark!" She shouted, tears falling freely now. "All this time I have tried to lead you away from it, show you that there is another way. But you just will not listen." She sobbed, feeling utterly broken and helpless.

"Evelyn, join me, please." He asked softly, holding his hand out. Evelyn looked from his hand to his eyes, seeing Ben Solo somewhere deep within. She thought about it, for a split second; joining him, perhaps she could convince him to do good. But this wasn't her Ben, this was still Kylo Ren.

"I will not join the dark side." She hissed, hand flying out and pulling her lightsaber towards her, Kylo following suit, creating a vortex of Force which pushed the two of them back as they struggled to keep power over the lightsaber. "I don't want to do this, Ben! You can end this, end all of this, if you just come with me!" Evelyn shouted over the loud noise, dust and flame blowing all around them.

"You think you can save me, but there is nothing to save me from!" He shouted back, force intensifying with every second.

Evelyn let out a yell in frustration as she pulled harder, Kylo doing the same. "We make our own paths, Ben. This does not have to be yours, this does not have to be ours!" She struggled to shout over the sound now. "Please." Her final plea was like a whisper, but somehow, Ben heard it. There was a brief moment as he looked into her broken eyes, and saw himself, but in an instant, that moment was over; a sharp light flashed across the room as the lightsaber split in half, sending the two flying.

-

Kylo awoke with a gasp, looking around to see the room empty bar Hux. Disappointment and longing filled his soul as he realized he had lost her.

"What happened?" Hux asked angrily, looking down upon Snoke's body, or at least one half. Kylo took a moment to collect himself, not wanting to appear any weaker in front of Hux and slowly stood up.

"I...I don't know." He said, stumbling over to the window. "Where did she go?" He swallowed nervously, hoping that she wasn't dead or imprisoned.

"She took Snoke's escape pod. My guess is that she returned to her rebel scum friends after killing the Supreme Leader, we are leaderless-" Hux began to choke as Kylo throttled him with the Force.

"The Supreme Leader is dead. But we are not leaderless." Kylo hissed, tightening his grip.

"Long live t-the Supreme L-Leader."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I really tried to make Kylo and Ben two separate characters in a way as this work comes to its temporary end until the next film is released. Stay tuned for the final chapter! :)


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